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.
July, 2016
Physical Activity Among Adults in Southeastern Pennsylvania
With summer underway, many adults are taking advantage of this warmer weather by being more active outdoors. There are numerous benefits to regular physical activity, including:
- Improving chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease;
- Improving the ability to perform daily tasks;
- Decreasing risk for osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease; and
- Decreasing risk of early death
Nationwide, about half of adults do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity despite a growing body of evidence about the benefits from being physically active [1]. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that individuals should aim to engage in some form of physical activity at least three times a week along with eating a healthier diet.
Using data from PHMC’s Community Health Data Base 2015 Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Household Health Survey, the following article examines adults 18 years of age or older and their exercise habits/behaviors.
June, 2016
Men's Health Week: A Look at High Blood Pressure
National Men’s Health Week, celebrated every year during the week leading up to and including Father’s Day, it is important to remind ourselves and be aware of the health risks that affect the men in our lives. These risks encompass a wide range of conditions including high blood pressure stroke, heart failure, heart attack, and kidney failure, among others. National data show that men below the age of 45 are more likely than their female counterparts to have high blood pressure and heart disease is the leading cause of death among men in this country1. The Community Health Data Base (CHDB) collects information on health conditions that could have an impact on these diseases. The following data are from PHMC’s 2015 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey.
April, 2016
National Public Health Week 2016
Since 1995, when the first full week of April was declared National Public Health Week, communities across the United States have observed the time as an opportunity to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving the public’s health. In recognition of National Public Health Week, Public Health Management Corporation’s Community Health Data Base (CHDB) is pleased to provide the following key findings from the 2015 SEPA Household Health Survey for adults, older adults and children regarding health status, access to care and personal health behaviors. The SEPA Household Health Survey is the largest, local public health survey in the country. It has been conducted 14 times since its inception in 1983. The survey is conducted in over 10,000 households in SEPA and is used extensively for assessing unmet need and addressing at-risk populations across the region. The following are selected key findings from the survey:
May, 2016
Falls among Older Adults in Southeastern Pennsylvania: Health Status and Housing Factors
The CDC reports that one in three adults age 65 or older falls every year, and the rate of unintentional deaths from falls has increased steadily over the past decade. Falls have ongoing negative effects. Falling once increases the risk of future falls, falls can result in broken bones and further complications, and even people who are uninjured by falls may limit their activity after a fall, risking loss of strength and agility.
PHMC’s Community Health Data Base 2015 Household Health Survey includes information about falls and fall risk for 3,260 adults age 60 or older living in Southeastern Pennsylvania. 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. This article uses data from the 2015 SEPA Household Health Survey to examine falls among adults 60 years of age or older throughout the SEPA region.
February 2016
Percentage of Uninsured Drops Among Near Poor in Philadelphia
One of the major coverage provisions of the ACA is the expansion of Medicaid eligibility to low-income individuals. Adults with income up to 138% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are eligible for Medicaid and children in households with incomes up to 319% of FPL are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. In 2015, Governor Wolf implemented Medicaid expansion in PA as part of the ACA. The implementation of this policy helped to increase access to health insurance for low income and near-poor residents across Pennsylvania.
The data in this article are from Public Health Management Corporation’s 2015 Household Health Survey (HHS). PHMC’s HHS is the largest and longest running regional survey in the country and most comprehensive in the region, covering 10,000 randomly selected households in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties since its launch in 1983. The survey shows that the near-poor population in Philadelphia, defined in the survey as families living just above the FPL or at 100% to 150% of the FPL, has seen a significant increase in the percentage of insured adults since the roll-out of the ACA due, in large part, by the ACA and Medicaid expansion.