Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents
(Summer 2008)
TOPIC: Reflecting on Our Health
New survey shows progress, but challenges remain
by richard cox

Hold a mirror up to our community and chances are you’ll see that residents have put on a few extra pounds. But keep looking and you’ll also see some bright spots: for example, fewer smokers are lighting up.

Those are just two views of our region to emerge from the latest Community Health Survey, a 12-year project by the Health District of Northern Larimer County that has provided an in-depth look at the health, and health needs, of local residents.
Results from the latest Community Health Survey are now in. Statistics from the survey, completed in fall 2007 by more than 2,300 randomly selected adult Health District residents, offer a mixed picture of health in our community.

In some ways, local residents appear to be taking greater responsibility for their health. More people than ever (37 percent) are eating three or more servings of vegetables per day. The number of people who report driving after having two or more drinks has declined, from 15 percent in 2001 to 7 percent in 2007. And smoking rates are at a 12-year low, down to 14 percent from a high of 18 percent in 1995. (The national goal is 12 percent.)

“Our community does pretty well compared to the state and nation,” says Health District evaluation specialist Kendra Bigsby, who notes that Colorado residents generally tend to be healthier than the average American.

Yet challenges remain. Even local smoking statistics show room for improvement. Only adults ages 35-64 show a continued decrease in cigarette use compared to previous surveys; cigarette use among young smokers (ages 18-34) remains relatively unchanged.

Mirroring a national trend, fewer Health District adults report having a normal weight, whereas the percentage of people in the overweight/obese category (49 percent) continues to grow, with most of the gains coming from men.

Healthcare costs continue to weigh heavily on local residents, with high prices affecting whether, and how often, people receive needed healthcare services. Among the troubling statistics: nearly a quarter (24 percent) of all respondents in last year’s survey reported skipping a treatment or medication because it was too expensive. Those with health insurance are not immune to hardship; the percentage of insured respondents who said the same thing has nearly doubled in the last decade, from 11 percent in 1998 to 20 percent in 2007.

A sampling of survey results...

3 out of 4 adults had their cholesterol checked in the last 3 years.

More people (37%) are eating 3 or more vegetables per day.

Smoking rates are at a 12-year low (14%).

Nearly a quarter (24%) of adults have skipped medication or treatment because it was too expensive.

1 in 10 people are in collections because of medical bills.

More adults (22%) are being diagnosed with depression.

In the past two years, a third of Health District residents (34 percent) received medical bills that had to be paid over time. Additionally, in the past year one in 10 residents (11 percent) had been in collections because of medical bills.

“That makes me very worried about where we’re headed in terms of being able to afford basic healthcare,” says Carol Plock, executive director of the Health District.

The Health District uses this and other information gleaned from the survey to help guide its long-term planning. The Community Health Survey is part of a comprehensive assessment that the Health District has done every three years since 1995. In addition to the survey, it also holds discussion groups with local residents, reviews demographics and vital statistics and analyzes key health issues and trends.

“Doing an assessment every three years allows us to make adjustments to our services that significantly affect how effective we can be,” Plock says. “We’re committed to setting our priorities based on what the current needs are. That’s especially important when you have limited resources; you really want to focus on what truly makes a difference.”

Plock notes that recent surveys have revealed the seriousness of mental illness and substance abuse and shown them to have a burden on the community second only to heart disease.

For example, nearly a quarter (22 percent) of all Health District adults have been diagnosed with depression. Also, between 1995 and 2007 the percentage of adults diagnosed with a mental illness other than depression tripled, from 3 percent to 9 percent.

Cost appears to be a significant barrier to many of these people getting effective treatment, as a quarter of all those who may have needed mental healthcare (and half of those in poverty) delayed seeking care because it was too expensive.

Statistics such as these have fueled the Health District’s recent efforts to increase access to mental health services through projects like Connections, the Integrated Care program and the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Partnership.

In addition to using survey results for its own planning, the Health District freely shares data with other local organizations committed to improving the health of the community.

Among those who look forward to obtaining local survey data is Sarah Morales, a wellness dietitian with Poudre Valley Health System and nutrition network counselor for the Fort Collins Nutrition Network, a local coalition aimed at improving eating habits and physical activity among the area’s low-income residents.

Morales, who tracks data on obesity, nutrition and physical activity, says of the survey, “It helps us to prioritize our needs. We need to have the bigger picture to find out where the gaps are, and in order to do that we have to have data. We don’t have the resources at the Fort Collins Nutrition Network to do that kind of survey ourselves.”

None of this would be possible without the help of thousands of people who have volunteered to fill out the 80-question survey over the years. To them, Plock extends thanks. And to those who might be called upon for the next survey in 2010, she greatly encourages participation.

“We still have an enormous amount of human suffering in our community, and a great deal of that suffering can be prevented and moderated if we all work together.”