Below you can read our findings based on our various sources of data. If you would like to dig deeper into a specific subject, select a category from the menu to the left below Community Dashboard.
Falls within the past year among older adults in Southeastern Pennsylvania
Tuesday. April 5, 2011
This year's National Public Health Week campaign will take place April 4-11. Throughout the week, the public's attention will be directed towards messages about safety and injuries, including falls. According to national injury statistics, unintentional falls is one of the leading causes of injury among all age groups, particularly older adults. In fact, in 2009, there were more than 2.6 million emergency department visits among adults 60 years of age or older due to fall-related injuries. Like most injuries, falls are preventable, and knowing which population subgroups are disproportionately affected by falls can lead to more tailored prevention programs and messages.
Hypertension Among Adults in SEPA
Thursday. September 6, 2012
Hypertension, or abnormally high blood pressure, affects approximately one in three adults in the United States and more than 1 billion adults worldwide [1]. The relationship between blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease is well established: the higher the blood pressure, the greater the chance of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, or kidney disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) label high blood pressure as the "silent killer" due to the lack of warning signs or symptoms associated with the disease [1]. Many people do not realize they have hypertension until it is too late. As such, it is important for adults ages 18 or older to have their blood pressure checked every year.
Using data from PHMC's Community Health Data Base 2010 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, CHDB staff examined adults ages 18 or older living in the region who have not been screened for high blood pressure in the past year as well as adults who have been told they have high blood pressure.
Diabetes Among Adults in Southeastern Pennsylvania
Tuesday. November 6, 2012
Diabetes affects approximately 26 million Americans or 8.3% of the U.S. population (1). In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the disease's prevalence. The number of people diagnosed with diabetes has drastically risen since 1958 in which 1.5 million Americans had diabetes (1). In 2010 alone, about 1.9 million people aged 20 years or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes (1).
Diabetes refers to a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels that result from defects in the body's ability to produce and/or use insulin (2). When diabetes is not controlled, glucose and fats remain in the blood and can over time damage vital organs (3). Type 1 diabetes, previously called juvenile-onset diabetes, usually occurs among children and young adults and accounts for approximately 5% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes (4). Type 2 diabetes, or adult-onset diabetes, accounts for 90-95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes and is associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity (3). Today, type 2 diabetes in adolescents, while less prevalent, is being diagnosed more frequently.
Mammogram Screenings in Southeastern Pennsylvania
Thursday. October 4, 2012
In the United States, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. According to the American Cancer Society, in this year alone, an estimated 226,900 new cases of female breast cancer will be diagnosed and 39,500 women's lives are expected to be claimed by this disease [1].
To commemorate October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, data from PHMC's Community Health Data Base's (CHDB) 2010 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey were analyzed for women 40 years of age or older who never received a mammogram screening for breast cancer. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey collects information, including cancer screenings among other topics, from a random landline and wireless telephone survey conducted with 10,000 households in the five-county Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) region of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia.
Employee Health in Southeastern Pennsylvania
Tuesday. May 8, 2012
In recognition of Employee Health and Fitness Month, this month's article focuses on the health of Southeastern Pennsylvania's workforce. One objective of the Healthy People 2020 initiative aims to improve employee wellness by "[increasing] the proportion of worksites that offer nutrition or weight management classes or counseling" (1). Although employee health and fitness largely focuses on diet, weight status, and personal health behaviors, this article also looks at differences between employment groups, particularly part-time and full-time workers. Differences between these groups related to the utilization of health care and cost barriers are also addressed.