Table 2.

Demographic and Health Characteristics of Respondents

CharacteristicUnweightedWeighted*
%n%n
Demographics
Age
18–24927515.5489
25–341856718.5583
35–442372622700
45–542064218573
55–641238411353
65+1857515462
Gender
Female551757481523
Male451452531686
Race
White (non-Hispanic)782477712247
Black/African American (non-Hispanic)1031912390
Hispanic824911342
Asian/Pacific Islanders (non-Hispanic)2584116
Other (non-Hispanic)382390
Educational status
Less than high school41145161
Completed high school591870712274
Completed college2785817548
Annual income
<$35,000471306531481$35,000–$74,9993496232904$75,000–$124,9991336611309 >$125,00061764120
Health status
Good621977732333
Poor38122427871
Health care factors
Health insurance status
Insured932957852698
Not insured723615474
In managed care?
Yes651889661743
No35100834886
% of Respondents who responded often or sometimes to the following statements:
Doctors have excellent medical skills952999952989
Doctors are open to what patients say832633842648
Doctors are behind in their knowledge of research and the latest treatments.742261742259
Doctors spend enough time with their patients692161692191
Proactive approach to health information
Yes401268351134
No601932652068
Have a regular doctor?
Yes852728812596
No1547719612
Rating of level of care from regular doctor, or doctor seen most often?
Excellent/very good712058691948
Good2162022612
Fair/poor82259246
How often does regular doctor encourage you to look for information?
Often/sometimes38103338971
Hardly ever/never621667621599
• * Data were weighted to adjust for unequal probability of selection (including the oversample of persons in poor health). To adjust for survey nonresponse, stratification weights were developed using the March 2000 Current Population Survey from the US Census Bureau as standard. The poststratification weights were based on gender within age within race, as well as education, health insurance status (insured vs. uninsured), and household size. This weighting procedure results in a sample that is representative of the US population.

• Poor health was defined as having a chronic disease or disability that prevented respondent from participating fully in school, work, housework, or other activities; having been hospitalized other than for a normal delivery within the past 12 months; and/or the respondent defining their health as fair or poor rather than excellent, very good, or good.

• See text for definition.