By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
A community health assessment has revealed some troubling trends among Wood County residents.
The mental health needs of local residents are rising across all age groups. We are not eating nearly enough fruits and vegetables. And residents with very low annual incomes have worse outcomes across all areas of health.
The Wood County Community Health Assessment is conducted every three years by the Wood County Health Department and Wood County Hospital to analyze health trends and identify health needs. The finished report is more than 150 pages.
The surveys were mailed out to 2,000 adults, and 5,000 parents of children under age 12 – along with $2 bills as an incentive for local residents to fill them out and mail them back. The youth surveys were conducted in sixth through 12th grades in local schools.
The results are intended to help health partners in the county set “aspirational goals that are realistic,” Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Robison said last week.
“This is a chance for us to really return to the work that defines the health department – beyond the pandemic,” Robison said.
Following are some of the results of the health assessments:
ADULT RESPONSES
Health care access
- 93% of adults had health care coverage.
- Top reasons adults were without coverage included losing a job or changing employers, or the employer did not or stopped offering coverage.
Health behaviors
- 69% of adults were either overweight (32%) or obese (37%).
- 47% of adults were trying to lose weight.
- 10% of adults were current smokers.
- 21% were former smokers.
- 36% of adults reported being binge drinkers.
- 9% of adults had used recreational marijuana in the past six months, increasing to 22% of those under age 30.
- 5% of adults had used a medication not prescribed for them, or took more than prescribed amount to feel good or high, or to be more active or alert in the last six months. That increased to 11% for those with annual incomes under $25,000.
- 76% of adults had sexual intercourse in the past year. Only 1% reported having intercourse with more than one partner in the past year.
Mental health
- 3% of adults reported attempting suicide in the past year.
- Adults indicated the following caused them anxiety, stress or depression: Current world events or political environment (49%), job stress (48%), COVID-19 pandemic (46%), financial stress (37%), death of close family member or friend (22%), social media (16%), marital/dating relationship (16%), other stress at home (16%), poverty/no money (15%), sick family member (13%).
Chronic disease
- 30% of adults were diagnosed with high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
- 11% of adults were diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, increasing to 28% of those over age 65.
- 31% of adults had been diagnosed with arthritis.
- 10% of adults had been diagnosed with asthma.
- 8% of adults were diagnosed with diabetes, increasing to 20% of those over age 65.
Social determinants of health
- 13% of adults needed help meeting their general daily needs such as food, clothing, shelter or paying utility bills in the past month.
- 17% of adults had transportation issues.
YOUTH RESPONSES
Weight status
- 31% of youth were either overweight (13%) or obese (18%)
- 40% of youth were trying to lose weight, increasing to 52% of females.
- 10% of youth did not participate in at least an hour of physical activity on any day in the past week.
- 22% of youth spent three or more hours playing video games on an average school day.
Tobacco use
- 8% of all Wood County youth had tried cigarette smoking, increasing to 20% of those 17 and older.
- 3% had tried cigarette smoking for the first time before age 13.
- 2% were current smokers.
Alcohol consumption
- 28% of youth had at least one drink of alcohol in their life, increasing to 53% of those 17 and older.
- 11% of youth had at least one drink in the past month, increasing to 27% for those 17 and older.
- 5% of youth were considered binge drinkers, increasing to 20% for ages 17 and older.
- Youth drinkers reported they got alcohol from the following: Someone gave it to them (42%), someone older bought it (32%), a parent gave it to them (29%), took it from a store or family member (24%), an older friend or sibling bought it (13%), a friend’s parent gave it to them (13%), bought it with fake ID (8%).
Drug use
- 5% of youth had used marijuana at least once in the past 30 days, increasing to 18% for those 17 and older.
- 3% used medications that were not prescribed for them, or took more than prescribed to feel good or get high. That number increased to 5% for those over age 17.
Mental health
- 29% of youth reported they felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row, that they stopped doing some usual activities. That number increased to 36% for females.
- 14% reported they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.
- 5% of Wood County youth had attempted suicide in the past year.
- Wood County youth reported the following caused them anxiety, stress or depression: Academic success (48%), self image (36%), sports (33%), fighting with friends (30%), death of a close family member or friend (27%), peer pressure (26%), other stress at home (24%), COVID-19 (24%), fighting at home (20%), social media (18%)
Social determinants of health
- 72% of youth had been to the doctor for a routine check up in the past year.
- 78% reported they saw a dentist in the past year.
- 39% got eight or more hours of sleep on an average school night; 36% got six hours or less.
- 3% reported they went to bed hungry because their family did not have enough money for food at least one night per week; 1% went to bed hungry every night of the week.
- 2% experienced financial trouble due to gambling.
- 6% prioritized gaming over other daily activities; 6% continued gaming despite negative consequences; 4% had difficulties controlling their gaming.
- Youth reported the following childhood adverse experiences: Parents separated or divorced (27%), adults in the home swore at them and put them down (22%), lived with someone who was depressed or mentally ill (17%), parents not married (15%), family did not look out for each other (12%), lived with someone who is a problem drinker (12%), lived with someone who served time or was sentenced to serve time in prison or jail (10%), lived with someone who used drugs illegally (7%), adults in the home abused each other (6%), adults in the home abused them (5%), did not have enough to eat, had to wear dirty clothes and had no one to protect them (5%).
Violence
- 8% of youth carried a weapon (gun, knife or club) in the past 30 days.
- 20% of youth had purposely hurt themselves: Scratching (14%), cutting (11%), hitting (11%), biting (7%), burning (3%), and self-embedding (2%).
- 15% of youth had been involved in a physical fight.
- 30% of youth had been bullied in the past year: Verbally (21%), indirectly (18%), cyber (10%), physically (4%), and sexually (3%).
CHILD RESULTS
General health
- 98% of parents rated their child’s health as excellent or very good.
- 78% of children had been to the dentist in the past year, increasing to 90% of 6-11-year-olds.
Weight and nutrition
- 21% of children were classified as obese by BMI calculations; 12% were classified as overweight; 59% were normal weight; 8% were underweight.
- 26% of children ate five or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day.
Health conditions
- Parents were told by a doctor that their child had the following conditions: 11% anxiety problems, 8% speech and language delays, 8% ADD/ADHD, 4% learning disability, 4% developmental delay, 3% overweight/obese, 3% behavioral problem, 2% autism, 2% depression.
Health insurance and use
- 3% of parents reported their child did not currently have health insurance.
- 91% of children had received all their recommended vaccinations.
Early childhood (ages 0-5)
- Parents reported on places they put their children to sleep, with 94% saying a crib/bassinet without bumper, blankets or stuffed animals – to prevent SIDS.
- Mothers breastfed their babies less than three months (21%), four to six months (10%), seven to nine months (10%), 10 to 12 months (20%), more than one year (21%), still breastfeeding (6%), never breastfed (12%)
- 60% of parents reported they or a family member read to their child every day in the past week.
Middle childhood (ages 6-11)
- 85% of parents reported their child was physically active for at least an hour on three or more days in the past week.
- 30% of parents reported their child was bullied in the past year.
- The following top five topics were discussed by parents with their 6-11-year-olds: Screen time (86%), eating habits (71%), bullying/violence (62%), cyber/internet safety (55%), and body image (41%).
Family functioning
- 43% of parents reported that every family member who lived in their household ate a meal together every day of the week. Families ate together an average of 5.3 times per week.
- 2% of parents reported that at least one person in the household went to bed hungry at least one day per week because they did not have enough money for food.
- 67% of parents reported they felt they handled day-to-day demands of raising children very well.
- Parents reported their child experienced the following adverse childhood experiences: Parents separated or divorced (13%), lived with someone who was mentally ill, suicidal or severely depressed (5%), lived with someone who had a problem with alcohol or drugs (3%), lived with a parent or guardian who served time in jail (2%).
Neighborhood characteristics
- 99% of parents definitely or somewhat agreed their child was safe in their neighborhood.
- In the past week, parents reported they visited their local park/bike trails with their child: One time (34%), two-three times (32%), four or more times (7%).
- 9% of children have moved to a new address three or more times; 31% moved one time; 10% moved two times; 50% had never moved.
Home environment characteristics
- Parents reported having the following safety items in their home: Working smoke alarm (99%), carbon monoxide detector (84%), fire extinguisher (73%).
- Parents had the following rules about smoking or vaping: No one allowed to smoke or vape in the car (85%), no one allowed to smoke or vape in home (69%).
COVID-19
- Families were negatively affected by COVID-19 pandemic in the following ways: Educational challenges (34%), change in mental health (22%), lack of childcare (14%), change in employment status (12%) change in physical health (9%), loss of household income (9%).
