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| A1C | Medical test that sums up how much glucose has been sticking to the hemoglobin molecule in the bloodstream during the past three to four months. |
| Activities of Daily Living | Usual activities, such as self-care, work, or recreation. |
| Adult | Individual aged 18 years or older. |
| Angina | Most common symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD); chest pain or discomfort that occurs if an area of the heart muscle does not get enough oxygen-rich blood. |
| Arthritis | Joint inflammation; term used in the public health field to describe more than 100 rheumatic diseases and conditions that affect joints, the tissues which surround the joint, and other connective tissue; pattern, severity, and location of symptoms can var |
| Asthma | Disease that affects the lungs; causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing. |
| Binge Drinking | For women, consumption of 4 or more drinks during a single occasion in the past 30 days; for men, consumption of 5 or more drinks during a single occasion in the past 30 days. |
| Blood Glucose | Also called blood sugar; refers to the level of glucose, the main sugar the body makes from the food we eat, that is found in the bloodstream. |
| Blood Pressure | The force of the blood against the artery walls; two levels of blood pressure measured, the highest, or systolic, occurs when the heart pumps blood into the blood vessels, and the lowest, or diastolic, occurs when the heart rests. |
| Blood Sugar | See Blood Glucose |
| Body Mass Index (BMI) | A number calculated from a person's height and weight; provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people; used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. |
| Cancer | General name for a group of diseases; when cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control, forming new, abnormal cells and sometimes invading (growing into) other tissues. |
| Cholesterol | A substance the body uses to produce hormones, vitamin D, and food-digesting acids. Too much cholesterol in the blood over an extended period can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, or angina. |
| Chronic Bronchitis | A long-term condition in which the airways that carry air to the lungs become inflamed and produce too much mucus, making it difficult to get air into and out of the lungs. |
| Chronic Diseases | Diseases of long duration and generally slow progression (e.g., heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes); represent the leading causes of mortality worldwide. |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) | Term that refers to a group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. |
| Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) | Most common type of heart disease; occurs when a substance called plaque builds up on the inner walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart, called coronary arteries; most common cause of a heart attack. |
| Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) | See Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) |
| Current Smoker | Combination of everyday smoker and some days smoker. |
| Depressive Disorders | Mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that once were pleasurable; disturbance in sleep, appetite, and mental processes are a common accompaniment. |
| Diabetes | General term for diabetes mellitus; disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. |
| E-Cigarettes | An e-cigarette, also known as an electronic cigarette, is a device that allows a user to inhale nicotine and other vapors. |
| Emphysema | Long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath; tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. See also Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). |
| Everyday Smoker | Adults who reported smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetimes and reported smoking everyday now. |
| Exercise | See Physical Activity |
| Fibromyalgia | A musculoskeletal condition causing widespread muscle and joint pain and fatigue. |
| Flu | Contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses; can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. |
| Flu Shot | Influenza vaccine; an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu vaccine can also be administered as an attenuated vaccine (containing weakened, live virus) by a spray, mist, or drop in the nose. |
| Former Smoker | Adults who reported smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetimes but reported not smoking now. |
| Gout | A form of arthritis caused by too much uric acid in the blood that causes pain, stiffness, and swelling of a joint. |
| Health Behavior | An action taken by a person to maintain, attain, or regain good health and to prevent illness. |
| Health Care Coverage | Health insurance, pre-paid plans such as HMO's, government plans such as Medicare. |
| Health Care Provider | A person who by education, training, certification, or licensure is qualified to and is engaged in providing health care to patients (e.g., medical doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, registered nurse). |
| Health Risk Behavior | An action taken by a person that is associated with higher than average rates of morbidity or mortality (e.g., lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption). |
| Healthy Weight | Having a body mass index (BMI) ranging from 18.5 to 24.9; BMI is calculated using self-reported height and weight. |
| Heart Attack | Most commonly caused by coronary artery disease (CAD); occurs when a section of the heart muscle dies or gets damaged because of reduced blood supply. |
| Heavy Drinking | For women, consumption of more than 1 drink per day on average in the past 30 days; for men, consumption of more than 2 drinks per day on average in the past 30 days. |
| High Blood Cholesterol | Condition where there is too much cholesterol in the blood for an extended period of time; increases the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, or angina. |
| High Blood Pressure | Condition where the blood circulates through the arteries with too much force; tires the heart, harms the arteries, and increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney problems. |
| Hispanic | Adults of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race; self-reported demographic variable. |
| HIV | Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) damages a person’s body by destroying immune system cells, which are crucial to helping the body fight diseases; can lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). |
| Hypertension | See High Blood Pressure |
| Inactive | No leisure-time physical activity, performance of aerobic activity for less than 10 minutes at a time, or performance of only non-aerobic activities in the past 30 days. |
| Influenza | See Flu |
| Insufficiently Active | Performance of less than 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week in the past 30 days. |
| Kidney Disease | Also called renal disease; general term for any damage that reduces the functioning of the kidney. |
| Mental Health | A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. |
| Muscle Strengthening Recommendations | Performance of muscle-strengthening activities, such as activities using body weight, weight machines, free weights, or elastic bands, at least two times per week in the past 30 days. |
| Never Smoked | Adults who reported smoking less than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. |
| Non-Hispanic Black | Adults not of Hispanic culture or origins reporting membership in only the black race category; self-reported demographic variable. |
| Non-Hispanic White | Adults not of Hispanic culture or origins reporting membership in only the white race category; self-reported demographic variable. |
| Non-Smoker | Combination of former smoker and never smoked. |
| Obese | Having a body mass index (BMI) that is greater than or equal to 30.0; BMI is calculated using self-reported height and weight. |
| Obesity | A condition characterized by being obese. |
| Overweight | Having a body mass index (BMI) ranging from 25.0 to 29.9; BMI is calculated using self-reported height and weight. |
| Personal Doctor | A health care provider that an adult identifies as their personal health care provider. |
| Physical Activity | Any bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle that increases energy expenditure above basal level and that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. |
| Pneumococcal Vaccination | Vaccine given with a needle, usually in the arm, to prevent pneumococcal pneumonia. |
| Pneumonia | Infection of the lungs, usually caused by bacteria or viruses, that can cause mild to severe illness. |
| Poor Mental Health | Adults who report that their mental health, which includes stress, depression, and problems with emotions, was not good on 14 or more of the previous 30 days. |
| Poor Physical Health | Adults who report that their physical health, which includes physical illness and injury, was not good on 14 or more of the previous 30 days. |
| Pre-Diabetes | A condition in which an individual's blood sugar is high, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. |
| Prostate-Specific Antigen Test (PSA) | Test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer that measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) present in blood. |
| Race/Ethnicity | A measure that combines an adult's ethnicity status (Hispanic/non-Hispanic) and race status (e.g., white; black; other); self-reported demographic variable. |
| Routine Checkup | A general physical exam; does not include exams conducted for a specific injury, illness, or condition. |
| Sedentary | Participating in no leisure-time physical activity in the past 30 days. |
| Sex | The condition or character of being male or female; self-reported demographic variable. |
| Smoking | Inhalation of the smoke (gases and hydrocarbon vapors) generated by slowly burning tobacco. |
| Some Days Smoking | Adults who reported smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and reported smoking some days now. |
| Stroke | Sometimes called a brain attack; occurs when a clot blocks the blood supply to the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. |