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.
January 2016
The Uninsured in SEPA: Latest Data from CHDB's 2015 SEPA Household Health Survey
Since 1983, the Household Health Survey has tracked key health indicators for Philadelphia and for the region as a whole. PHMC’s Community Health Data Base (CHDB) conducted the latest SEPA Household Health Survey in the winter of 2014-2015. Over 10,000 interviews were conducted with adults 18 years of age and older by telephone: 80% of the interviews were conducted by landline and 20% were conducted by cell phone. The data presented below provide a snapshot of the roll out of the ACA and it has had an impact on access to health insurance across the region.
February 2015
Quick Data Facts from PHMC's 2015 SEPA Household Health Survey: An Overview of Key Health Indictors for Philadelphia
Since 1983, the Household Health Survey has tracked key health indicators for Philadelphia and for the region as a whole. PHMC’s Community Health Data Base (CHDB) conducted the latest SEPA Household Health Survey in the winter of 2014-2015. Over 10,000 interviews were conducted with adults 18 years of age and older by telephone: 80% of the interviews were conducted by landline and 20% were conducted by cell phone. The data presented in this article provide an overview of some of the major findings from the 2015 survey for adults by Planning Analysis Sections of Philadelphia.
November 2015
Cigarette Smoking and Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in Southeastern Pennsylvania
The Great American Smokeout, which will be taking place on Thursday, November 19th, encourages smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), by quitting—even for one day—smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life and reducing their cancer risk. In the United States, tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death. Yet, some 42 million Americans, nearly one in every five adults, still smoke cigarettes.
Public Health Management Corporation’s Community Health Data Base (CHDB) has tracked tobacco use among adults through the Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Household Health Survey for more than a decade. The Household Health Survey is conducted by telephone and includes 10,000 households in the SEPA region (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties) every two years.
This article highlights data from the 2015 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey to examine tobacco use and exposure by a number of important demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.
December 2015
HIV Testing Behaviors Among Adults in Southeastern Pennsylvania
HIV infection continues to impact a large number of Americans. The CDC estimates that over 1.2 million people in this country are now living with HIV and about 50,000 become infected every year1. Despite increased availability of HIV testing, it is estimated that 13% of persons who have HIV do not know they are infected2. Increased access to HIV testing is important for several reasons: the risk of AIDS-related complications is greatly reduced when HIV infection is detected and treated early; treating pregnant women greatly reduces the chance that their babies will be infected; and persons who are receiving treatment are much less likely to pass the infection to someone else. Using data from Public Health Management Corporation’s Community Health Data Base’s 2015 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, this article examines HIV testing behaviors among adults age 18 and older in Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA), specifically looking at characteristics among those who have recently been tested for HIV and those who have never been tested.
October 2015
A Look at Preventive Screenings to Promote Breast Health
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease and to encourage preventive measures and early detection. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2012, (the most recent year numbers are available)—224,147 women and 2,125 men in the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that most women who are 50 to 74 years old should have a screening mammogram every two years.
Public Health Management Corporation’s Community Health Data Base (CHDB) tracks utilization of preventive health screenings, including mammograms and clinical breast exams, through the Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Household Health Survey. The Household Health Survey is a telephone survey of more than 10,000 households in the SEPA region, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. The survey asks female respondents about how long it has been since her last mammogram (for women 50-74) or clinical breast exam (for women 18+) and provides a range of time frames as response options.
This article uses data from the 2015 SEPA Household Health Survey to examine regional use of these important breast health screenings.