Anderson County Health Assessment

Clarise Rollins, Danielle Miller, and Allison Bodle

Table of ContentsHealth Ranking Summary........................................................................................................5

Leading Cause of Death Tables................................................................................................8

Disparities.............................................................................................................................12

Behavior and Lifestyle...........................................................................................................13

Recommendations.................................................................................................................15

Sources..................................................................................................................................17

[Anderson County Health Assessment] 3

Anderson County prioritizes their residents and decided to collaborate with the Texas

Health Assessment Organization to assess the counties healthcare needs. A health assessment is a

collection and analysis of data that entails specific health needs and issues of a given population.

The Texas Health Assessment Organization has inquired, collected, and analyzed data about

health issues in previous to recent years to be addressed and prioritized moving forward for the

selected county. In order to provide the county with a valuable assessment, The Texas Health

Assessment Organization sought information regarding:

Health rankings

Community Profile

Leading Causes of Deaths

Disparities

Behaviors and Lifestyle

Recommendation

Data Collection

The Texas Health Assessment Organization prides itself on credible sources and seeks

information through the Center for Disease Control and prevention (CDC), County Health

Rankings and Roadmaps, U.S Department of Health and Human Services, surveys from

Anderson County residents, information from neighboring counties for comparison, and reports

from the Palestine Healthcare Center, a local healthcare facility.

Summary of Key Findings

Anderson County thrives in education and physical environment. However, the County

should prioritize its adult residents. The adult population show high numbers in being uninsured,

physically inactive, inadequate health behaviors, unemployment, and diseases. Lastly, there is a

high number in teen births that should be recognized, as it is high compared to the state average.

Quality of Life

A quality of life review was done on the county in order to start the assessment. This

review aids the team in getting basic information to understand the population within the county.

QUALITY OF LIFE

COUNTY STATEPopulation 57,627 26,956,958% below 18 years old 19.2% 26.4%% 65 years old and older 13.8% 11.5%% Non-Hispanic African American

20.9% 11.7%

% American Indian and Alaskan Native

0.7% 1.0%

% Asian 0.8% 4.5%% Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander

0.1% 0.1%

% Hispanic 17.0% 38.6%% Non-Hispanic White 59.9% 43.5%% Not proficient in English 2% 8%% Females 39.0% 50.4%% Rural 67.1% 15.3%

[Anderson County Health Assessment] 5

Health Ranking Summary The Health Ranking Summary table entails information about Anderson County

compared to its peer counties. This chart displays the strengths and weaknesses of Anderson

County which is pertinent to understanding why certain health issues persist and what factors

need the most improvement for better health care in the county.

Health Ranking Summary

Strength Moderate Weakness

Mortality Chronic kidney disease deaths

Chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD) deaths

Coronary heart disease deaths

Diabetes deaths

Alzheimer’s disease deaths

Cancer deaths Female life

expectancy Male life

expectancy Motor vehicle

deaths Stroke deaths Unintentional

injury(including motor vehicles)

Morbidity Cancer Syphilis

Adult obesity Gonorrhea HIV Older adult asthma Preterm births

Adult diabetes Adult overall health

status Alzheimer’s

disease/dementia Older adult depression

Health Care Access and Quality

Cost barrier to care Older adult

preventable hospitalizations

Primary care provider access

Uninsured

Health Factors

Adult binge drinking Adult female routine

pap tests Adult smoking Teen births

Adult physical inactivity

Social Factors

On time high school graduation

Children in single-parent household

High housing costs Unemployment Violent crimes

Inadequate social support poverty

Physical

Environm

ent

Living near highway

Access to parks Annual average

PM2.5 concentration Housing stress Limited access to

healthy food

Another key finding was the high teen birth rate in the county. In the figure below is the

ranking of teen births in different counties that are in Texas. The data is measured by amount

of births per 1,000 female population ages 15-19. Anderson County is found to have 67 teen

births while the average in Texas is 52.

[Anderson County Health Assessment] 7

Figure 1

Anderson County

Social Determinants of HealthBelow is a chart that displays conditions in which the people in the county live. These

economic and social factors affect the health of the people in the county.

Anderson County State of Texas

Ratio of Primary Care Physicians to population

2,520:1 1680:1

Median Household Income $42,500 $53,100

High School Graduation 94% 88%

College 40% 59%

Uninsured Residents 24% 25%

Leading Cause of Death Tables

Ranking Compared to Other Counties

So for Anderson ranking compared to other counties, I decided to compare Anderson,

Cherokee and Hidalgo. Anderson and Cherokee have a similar population total and Hidalgo

has a much larger population. Anderson County has a total population of 58,190. Anderson

County is ranked 214 out of 241 for overall health outcomes, which is very poor. The

premature death rank for Anderson County has been improving over time but compared to the

overall state the rank is very high. Anderson County needs to improve their overall health

quality. Cherokee county has a total population of 51,206. Cherokee county is ranked 179 out

of 241 for overall health outcomes which poor, as a county they’re doing a little bit better than

Anderson county. Also for Cherokee County the violent crime rate is higher than the state

average. The premature death rank is staying the same over time for Cherokee county,

compared to the overall state the rank is about the same. Hidalgo County has a total population

of 806,552. Hidalgo County has a great overall health ranked 86 out of 241. In Hidalgo

County the children that live in poverty is high compared to the state. This could be a result of

a larger population. The premature death rank is getting better over time and compared to the

[Anderson County Health Assessment] 9

overall state the rank is much better. I decided on these categories to compare because they

affect people of all ages. Estimates vary but experts suggest that up to 5.1 million Americans

age 65 and older have Alzheimer disease. Heart disease is one of the top leading causes of

death. For motor vehicle deaths they most of the time affect the younger population.

County Alzheimer’s Motor Vehicle Deaths

Coronary Heart Disease

Anderson 62.1 27.6 129.9

Cherokee 15.8 35 137.6

Hidalgo 13.6 12.3 143.3

*Per 100,000 person’s

Leading Causes of Death by Race, Gender and Age

The leading cause of deaths in Anderson County includes Alzheimer’s, Cancer and

Motor Vehicle. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other

important mental functions, it cannot be cured but treatment can help. “The symptoms of the

disease first appear after age 60 and the risk increases with age. Younger people may get

Alzheimer’s disease but it is less common.” Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of

death among the elderly. In Anderson county it affects ages 65 and over twice as much as the

United States Average. The age adjusted Alzheimer’s disease death rate for Anderson County

is 62.1 per 100,000 persons. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States.

In Anderson county cancer affects men more than women and it affects all ages with the

majority of 65 and over. The age adjusted Cancer death rate for Anderson County is 248.5 per

100,000 persons. Specifically lung Cancer has a high occurrence among the residents of

Anderson County. Motor vehicle deaths are the leading cause of death among younger people.

In Anderson County it occurs more among ages 18-44. The age adjusted Motor Vehicle death

rate for Anderson County is 27.6 per 100,000 persons.

ALZHEIMER’S BY RACE/ ETHNICITY

Race Anderson County United States

Black or African American 59.4 26

White 62.5 28.1

Not Hispanic or Latino 62.7 27.5

*Per 100,000 persons

ALZHEIMER’S BY GENDER

Gender Anderson United States

Male 44.1 23.6

Female 71.6 30.8

ALZHEIMER’S BY AGE

Age Anderson United States

18-44 NA NA

45-64 NA 1.2

65 and older 468.0 214.3

[Anderson County Health Assessment]11

CANCER BY RACE/ ETHNICITY

Race Anderson United States

Black 275.3 219.7

White 243.3 182.8

Hispanic 302.9 119.3

Not Hispanic or Latino 240.3 187.1

CANCER BY GENDER

Gender Anderson United States

Male 330.5 228.1

Female 158.1 154.7

CANCER BY AGE

Age Anderson United States

18-44 27.5 17.3

45-64 397.5 220.5

65 and older 1167 1039.1

MOTOR VEHICLE BY RACE/ ETHNICITY

Race Anderson United States

White 31.9 19.2

Not Hispanic or Latino 29.3 19.1

MOTOR VEHICLE BY GENDER

Gender Anderson United States

Male 29.4 26.2

Female 28.1 9.8

MOTOR VEHICLE BY AGE

Age Anderson United States

18-44 31.6 24.8

45-64 28.9 15.4

65 and older 42.2 16.7

*NA= Not Available Some of the data was not available due to statistical reliability and data

quality.

DisparitiesDisparities refer to the difference in the health status among groups of people. In

Anderson county Alzheimer’s is worse than the state’s ranking and the national average. Also

Alzheimer’s affects white people three twice as much as the national average. The next group

of people that it affects is Non-Hispanic or Latino, which can account for different races. Also

for Anderson county Alzheimer’s affect more women than men. Alzheimer’s has a high

occurrence in Anderson County due to the large elderly population. For Cancer, the rate in

Anderson County is slightly higher than the state average. Comparing Anderson County to the

[Anderson County Health Assessment]13

national average the Cancer rate is almost doubled. In Anderson County, the age group 65 and

older is affected the most. For race and ethnicity Cancer affects Hispanic and Latino people the

most then followed by White people. Also Lung Cancer has the highest occurrence, this could

be a cause of the environment. In Anderson County the motor vehicle death rate is slightly

higher than state’s average and it affects white people more than any race. The elderly

population is affected by a lot of these diseases because they make the majority of the

population. The age population 18-64 makes up 67%, which is a broad age range. White

people make up the majority of the population, which makes them the most affected. The men

make up 61% of the population. The two causes of death that need attention in this county is

Alzheimer’s and Cancer.

Behavior and LifestyleBehavior and lifestyle are major factors into disease and accidents all around the world,

and in Anderson County there are a few that correlate with the more prevalent causes of death

such as cancer, stroke, Alzheimer, and unintentional accidents, including motor vehicle

accidents.

Tobacco Use

In 2014, the CDC announced that even though tobacco usage is on a decrease, it is still

an issue. Almost 40% of cancer diagnoses are linked to tobacco use, and that isn’t just for lung

cancer, but for any kind of cancer. In Anderson county the cancer rates are nearly doubled than

the average rate of Texas, and the same goes for Cerebrovascular Disease, Accidents, and

Alzheimer’s. Each one of these diseases can be linked to tobacco usage.

Obesity

Right now more than one-third of the American population are considered to be obese.

Obesity is a disease that is on the rise and more prevalent than ever. Just as tobacco use was

linked to all of Anderson counties disparities so is obesity. One of the more prevalent cancer’s

in Anderson Country is colon cancer, and obesity is a major factor due to the enlarged waist

line and the pressure it put’s on the intestines and colon. Not only in obesity is a major factor

with cancer, but with Cerebrovascular Disease (stroke). Anderson county nearly doubles the

average rate of Texas with Cerebrovascular Disease.

Sedentary Lifestyle

Sedentary Lifestyle tends to be a big partner with obesity because when you are not

exercising or on the move and constantly eating your body is going to gain more mass and fat.

Sedentary lifestyle just simply means not much movement, whether sitting at a desk for 8

hours or binge watching Netflix for 4 hours. When your body is constantly at rest you do not

exercise your heart muscle, which then prevents it from pumping blood stronger through black

blood vessels, which can then lead to a stroke, or it can lead to not protecting your bodies

immune system, which then leads you to the possibility of cancer.

Alcohol Abuse

Lastly you have alcohol abuse, which just like the behaviors above is linked to the

disparities listed above. This one also tends to link with unintentional accidents, such as motor

vehicle accidents. In 2014, the CDC did a study and it showed that nearly one-third of all

motor vehicle accidents are due to alcohol. In Anderson County, unintentional deaths are

double the average rate of Texas, and half of the unintentional deaths are due to motor vehicle

accidents.

[Anderson County Health Assessment]15

* Anderson County’s outline of demographics, deaths, age, gender, and this helps you look at the causes of certain deaths such as Alzheimer, stroke, cancer, and unintentional deaths.

Recommendations How can we get this community to a healthier lifestyle and limit the chance of disease?

First thing to do is a community health screening that is free and accessible to everyone.

According to the department of Texas department of state health services, Anderson County

has roughly one- fourth of its population living in poverty and it also shows that more than

one-third of the population do not have health insurance, which means going to the doctor is

not easier to obtain for a good portion in the county. So if you do a free health screening once

or twice a year, then you will not be able to access the health of the community easier, but also

be able to tell people about health problems that they were not aware of, and how they can

better themselves. Doing this can also help bring awareness to how many people in the

community are obese, use tobacco products, excessively drink, and who have more of a

sedentary lifestyle. If we can lower these issues, than soon after the number of deaths through

disease and unintentional accidents will be lowered as well.

Another way to help the community, is to provide education on how to have a healthier

diet, and how to properly exercise One of the biggest issues as to why people do not exercise

or eat healthy is due to the fact that they do not know how to. Offering how to eat healthy at a

low cost, and how to exercise in your home without a gym membership is one of the biggest

ways to help people who do not have insurance or who are already living in poverty. Other

education classes would be tobacco and alcohol prevention, and how these two can affect your

health and lifestyle. Not only offering educational classes about how to prevent the use of

these two, but also have services for people who are addicted to tobacco or alcohol and easy

ways for them to have a community to turn to and help quit the addiction.

Lastly, offer fun ways to get outside and workout as a community for little to no cost.

Have free zumba or yoga classes downtown once a month, or a community clean up day to

where you get people moving, and cleaning your community at the same time. The more fun

you make it, the better. This can help prevent childhood obesity or a sedentary lifestyle. Most

people need a community to turn to, and keep them accountable and so creating that

community is the biggest key to getting Anderson County healthier.

[Anderson County Health Assessment]17

Sources

http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/texas/2016/rankings/anderson/county/outcomes/overall/snapshot

https://wwwn.cdc.gov/CommunityHealth/profile/currentprofile/TX/Anderson/

http://www.cdc.gov/stltpublichealth/cha/plan.html

www.mayoclinic.org

http://healthdata.dshs.texas.gov