Keywords

Cardiovascular Disease(CVD), National Health Interview Survey(NHIS), Physical Activity

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), a group of disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels, is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, driven by genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Young adults, although not a common group at risk for CVD, can face reduced health quality due to physical limitations and other environmental factors that can increase their risk for development of CVD. Depending on where young adults live, their risk of developing CVD varies. Young adults fall within the category of individuals ranging in age from 18-24 years old, the average between all ages for young adults between the research studies surrounding this topic. Metropolitan is summarized as any county with a population greater than 5,000 where nonmetropolitan is any county lower than 5,000. This approach has not been previously conducted as research has either been focused on overall quality of life between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan young adults or the presence of CVD factors for young adults without geographic considerations. The overall design of this study was a cross-sectional analysis utilizing the 2024 NHIS survey focusing on identifying the difference in development of CVD risk factors, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, overall perception of health, and physical activity based on metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan population of young adults. This study’s results found that nonmetropolitan young adults (66.5%) reported lower participation in moderate physical activity than metropolitan young adults (73.1%) [p-value < .01], while differences in hypertension, high cholesterol, and self-rated health were not statistically significant of CVD risk factors in young adults from nonmetropolitan environments over metropolitan environments. This study sheds light on the need for increased accessibility for physical activity options for young adults living in nonmetropolitan areas.

Thesis Completion Year

2026

Thesis Completion Semester

Summer

Thesis Chair

Jiang, Qianxia

College

College of Health Professions and Sciences

Thesis Discipline

Health Professions and Sciences

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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