Objective - This report calculates the prevalence of selected conditions by race and Hispanic origin among U.S. adults (aged 20 and over) during 2015-2018. Methods - Interview, physical examination, and laboratory data were used from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Conditions included asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and heart disease based on self-report;and obesity, severe obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, smoking, and hypertension based on physical measurements. Estimates accounted for survey design. Results - Seventy-six percent of adults and 86.4% (95% CI: 83.5-89.0) of non-Hispanic black adults had at least one condition. Obesity and diabetes were highest among non-Hispanic black (47.9% CI: 45.0-50.8;19.2% CI: 16.7-21.8, respectively) and Hispanic adults (45.7% CI: 42.9-48.6;21.3% CI: 19.0-23.7, respectively). Conclusions - Non-Hispanic black and Hispanic adults had a disproportionate burden of some conditions, including obesity and diabetes. Understanding populations at highest risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019-related illness could help inform prevention strategies.
Race and Hispanic-origin disparities in underlying medical conditions associated with severe COVID-19 illness: U.S. adults, 2015-2018