HEALTH STATS CANCER

• 1 in every 500 Bahamians has been diagnosed with cancer. In 2018 agestandardized incidence (ASI) of cervical cancer was at 10.9 per 100,000 in The Bahamas, compared to an ASI of 13.1 per 100,000 for the rest of the world.

• 92% of HPV-associated cancers are preventable.

• Data from the STEPS Survey 2019 show that a family history of hypertension ranked highest (72.1%) among respondents followed by a family history of diabetes (51.6%), and then cancer (43.1%), stroke (28.9%), raised cholesterol (28.8%) and early heart attack (9.5%).

• Forty-three percent (43%) of female respondents in the STEPS 2019 Survey between the ages of 45 – 69 years either never had a breast exam by a health professional or have not had one in more than two years (between 2018 and 2019).

Tobacco Use

• In The Bahamas tobacco use is increasing – rising by 145% over the almost twenty- year period from 2000 (7.1%) to 2019 (17.4%).

• Smoking is more prevalent among men (32.4%) than among women (3.6%) in The Bahamas.

• Almost seventy percent (67.3%) of current smokers smoke at least five (5) cigarettes on a daily basis.

• Infants exposed to second hand smoke are at a 55% increased risk for developing acute lower respiratory infections requiring hospitalization in the first two years of life.

• Non-smoking women exposed to second hand smoke are at a 68% increased risk of developing breast cancer before menopause.

• An 82% increased risk of stroke and a 27% increased risk of ischemic heart disease was recorded in the nonsmoking population exposed to second hand smoke.

Obesity

• The combined prevalence of overweight and obese adults for The Bahamas is 71.7%, which exceeds the average prevalence of 62.4% for the Region of the Americas.

Oral Health

• 56.8% of respondents in the survey have natural teeth missing. Noteworthy are the primary reasons for missing natural teeth – periodontal disease and cavities.

MENTAL HEALTH (MENTAL WELLNESS)

• From a mental health perspective, the findings show that men were twice as likely to contemplate suicide, but women were four times more likely than men to make a suicide attempt.

• Overall, 1.8% of STEPS respondents (or close to 7,000 people) shared having attempted suicide at some point during their lives. And, the same percentage had a close family member who died as the result of suicide.

• One in five adults experience some form of mental illness.

Diabetes

• Thirty percent (32.5%) of respondents diagnosed with diabetes and/or hypertension experience complications, including circulation problems and limb amputations as well as kidney, eye, heart and sexual problems.

• 85.3% of STEPS 2019 Survey respondents do not meet the daily recommendation for eating at least 5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables.

CHILDHOOD/ ADOLESCENT ILLNESSES

• According to the Global School-based Student Health Survey 2013, 19.3% of students had seriously contemplated suicide in the past year, while 13.6% actually attempted suicide one or more times in the past year.

• Data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey 2013 determined that 47.5% of students reported people smoking in their presence on one or more days during the past seven days