Healthy Lifestyles

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta,Georgia, is the government agency responsible for disease-relatedissues in the United States. The CDC coordinates efforts tocounteract outbreaks of diseases and funds a variety of medical andhealth research studies. The CDC also serves as a centralclearinghouse for health-related data.

The CDC conducts the annual Behavioral Risk Factor SurveillanceSurvey. The survey measures a whole series of lifestylecharacteristics that relate to health and longevity, such assmoking and use of seat belts. The survey compiles data on astateby-state basis. Not all states are surveyed.

The data set from the 1990 Behavioral Risk Factor SurveillanceSurvey is on the accompanying CD in the file named HEALTHY. Allnumbers are percentages, and asterisks indicate the missing datafor that state.

Your task is to prepare a summary of these data. Your report isto be issued to major news organizations, such as the AssociatedPress, and will appear in major newspapers around the UnitedStates. For this reason, it would be inappropriate to use technicaljargon in your report.

Your boss has suggested a few general ideas about what is likelyto appeal to your target audience. As you study the data, you mightfind other things worth including.

Questions

1. Report any interesting (i.e., unexpected,humorous, or odd) differences between states.

2. Devise a weighted index of all sevenlifestyle variables. The weighted index is to serve as an overallor composite measure of healthy lifestyles. Apply your weight tothe states of Minnesota, Florida, and California as an example ofwhat your weighted index shows.

3. Discuss any noteworthy limitations of thesurvey or data set.