The leading health indicators are a selected subset of 26 Healthy People 2020 goals across 12 topics:
- Persons with health insurance (AHS-1.1)
- Persons with a usual primary care provider (AHS-3)
- Adults being screened for colorectal cancer based on recent guidelines (C-16)
- Adults with hypertension whose blood pressure is controlled (HDS-12)
- People with diagnosed diabetes whose A1c value is greater than 9% (D-5.1)
- Children receiving recommended doses of DTaP, polio, MMR, Hib, HepB, varicella and PCV vaccines aged 19-35 months (IID-8)
- Air quality index >100 (EH-1)
- Children exposed to passive smoking (TU-11.1)
Damage and violence
- Injury Deaths (IVP-1.1)
- Colorless (IVP-29)
Maternal, infant and child health
- All child deaths (MICH-1.3)
- Total Preterm Live Births (MICH-9.1)
- Suicide (MHMD-1)
- Young people with a depressive episode in the past twelve months (MHMD-4.1)
Diet, physical activity and obesity
- Adults meeting aerobic physical activity and muscle strengthening goals (PA-2.4)
- Obesity among adults (NWS-9)
- Obesity in Children and Adolescents (NWS-10.4)
- Average daily intake of total vegetables (NWS-15.1)
- Children, young people and adults who have visited the dentist in the past year (OH-7)
Reproductive and sexual health
- Sexually active women receiving reproductive health care (FP-7.1)
- Knowledge of serostatus among HIV-positive individuals (HIV-13)
- Students who complete high school 4 years after starting 9th grade (AH-5.1)
- Young people who have used alcohol or illegal drugs in the past 30 days (SA-13.1)
- Internship in the past month – adults (SA-14.3)
- Cigarette smoking by adults (TU-1.1)
- Smoking by adolescents in the past 30 days (TU-2.2)
These goals were chosen to communicate high priority health issues and challenges. They focus on health determinants that promote quality of life, healthy behavior and healthy development at all stages of life. The indicators are used to assess the country's health, facilitate collaboration across sectors and motivate action to improve health at national, provincial and local levels.
The leading health indicators were selected and organized using a conceptual framework “Health Determinants and Health Outcomes by Life Stage”. This approach aimed to focus attention on both individual and social determinants that impact public health and contribute to health disparities during childhood and old age, highlighting strategic opportunities to promote health and improve quality of life for all Americans. The selection process was led by the Healthy People 2020 Federal Interagency Workgroup (FIW). In selecting the indicators, FIW took into account the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the Secretary's Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Goals for 2020.
For more information about development and frameworks, seedevelopment and framework website.
For mid-course status and selected results related to the leading health indicators, seeleading health indicator[PDF – 4MB]. For more background information, the latest data and selected infographic data related to key health indicators, visitleading website for health indicators..
