Think only the young and reckless and the old and infirm end up in health clinics?
Think again.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data Tuesday revealing the age range of Americans who visit healthcare centers most — and the results are surprising.
According to the report, in 2022, U.S. adults visited healthcare centers an estimated 89.5 million times, or 349.4 visits per 1,000 adults. That represents a hefty uptick in treatment trends, as 82.3 million visits were reported in the previous year.
A staggering two-thirds of healthcare visits were disease-related, including digestive conditions and diabetes.
Regarding age, the highest visitation rate was found in those aged 55 to 64. These middle-aged folks visited clinics at a rate of 418 per 1,000 people, compared to 325 in adults from 18 to 44 and 315 in those over 65.
According to the CDC, the former demographic may have higher visits than others because the majority of new diabetes diagnoses are in people 45 to 64 years old, and the highest rate of reason for visitation, as previously mentioned, was for diseases including diabetes.
The CDC compiled data from clinics and health centers that provide primary care, including prenatal appointments, vaccinations, and medical, vision, dental and cancer screenings.
An estimated 38.4 million Americans have diabetes, and a recent report warned that the diabetes rate is expected to rise from 16.3% to 26.8% of the population by 2050 because people aren’t exercising enough or eating healthfully.
Behind diseases, the second-highest reason for healthcare visitation was “factors influencing health status and contact with health services,” at 42%. This category included screening, blood work, reproductive services, exams and follow-up appointments.
Mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders accounted for 22% of all healthcare visits, the fourth highest cause. Interestingly, the percentage of visits that included a mental disorder decreased with age, from 24.5% of visits by adults, aged 18 to 44, to 15.3% by adults aged 65 and older.
Conversely, circulatory diseases, including high blood pressure, sharply increased with age — from 6.5% of all visits by adults from ages 18 to 44 to 32.7% of visits by adults 65 and older.
In terms of gender, the visit rate for women was nearly twice as high as that of men, 444.9 visits per 1,000 women versus 248.8 visits per 1,000 men.
Single people were more likely to seek medical treatment than their married counterparts; 48% of visits were by unwed individuals compared to 38% for married people.
This discrepancy is reflected in a 2019 study that suggests married people maintain better health due to higher income levels, private health insurance and a more robust support system.
The CDC notes that the new analysis did not use significant variables like race and ethnicity, type of provider seen and insurance status.
