Beginning in 1983, a national poll has been conducted annually to assess the extent to which the American public engaged in a core of 21 recommended health seeking behaviors. For the third consecutive year a national sample of approximately 1250 adults were interviewed concerning their self-reported compliance with a basic core of 21 health seeking behaviors. Identical sampling methodologies (i.e., a stratified random digit dialing procedure stratified by geographic region and place of residence therein) and identical behavioral wording were employed across surveys. As reported in 1985, statistically significant changes were observed between the first (1983) and second (1984) years, both with respect to an overall composite score based on all 21 behaviors and for a number of individual behaviors. Although a numerical improvement was observed for the 1985 composite score as compared to 1984 data, this difference did not reach statistical significance. From an individual perspective, however, two behaviors did register dramatic and statistically significant improvement over the preceding year: respondents reporting always using a seatbelt rose from 27% in 1984 to 41% in 1985 (the comparable figure was only 19% in 1983) and individuals reporting trying very hard to consume adequate amounts of calcium rose from 45% to 57% (65% among women). Overall, these trends continue to be encouraging, although obviously a great deal of room for improvement remains. (Author/NB)