Health Insurance Status as a Barrier to Ideal Cardiovascular Health for U.S. Adults: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the association between cardiovascular (CV) health and health insurance status. We hypothesized that U.S. adults without health insurance coverage would have a lower likelihood of ideal cardiovascular health. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2007–2010, we examined the relationship between health insurance status and ideal CV health in U.S. adults aged ≥19 years and <65 (N = 3304). Ideal CV health was defined by the American Heart Association (AHA) as the absence of clinically manifested CV disease and the simultaneous presence of 6–7 “ideal” CV health factors and behaviors. Logistic regression modeling was used to determine the relationship between health insurance status and the odds of ideal CV health. Of the U.S. adult population, 5.4% attained ideal CV health, and 23.5% were without health insurance coverage. Those without health insurance coverage were more likely to be young (p<0.0001), male (p<0.0001), non-white (p<0.0001), with less than a high school degree (p<0.0001), have a poverty-to-income ratio less than 1 (p<0.0001) and unemployed (p<0.0001) compared to those with coverage. Lack of health insurance coverage was associated with a lower likelihood of ideal CV health; however, this relationship was attenuated by socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS: U.S. adults without health insurance coverage are less likely to have ideal CV health. Population-based strategies and interventions directed at the community-level may be one way to improve overall CV health and reach this at-risk group.