Causes of Death

In recent years, there has been a major drift in both the trends of chronic disease states and the causes of death in the United States.¹ These changes reflect differences in lifestyle and behavioral choices. The major causes of death are not due to cancers or car accidents, but rather the poor management of habits that can lead to lifelong health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. A few examples of these bad habits are smoking, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, and excessive alcohol consumption.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tracks trends of health-related behaviors and risks, with two public surveys: the telephone-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the interview-based National Health Interview Survey. Data collected from the BRFSS survey is compiled to create the Selected Metropolitan and Micropolitan Area Risk Trends (SMART) report. All data collected allows the CDC to identify problems in specific communities and allocate resources purposely.