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Healthy Lucas
County Releases 2016/2017 Lucas County Community Health
Assessment
Findings Align With Multiple Metrics In 2016 Ohio State
Health Assessment
Findings from Healthy Lucas County’s 2016/2017 Lucas County
Community Health Assessment were released Monday, September
25, providing a snapshot of how Lucas County children, youth
and adults are faring with their health and well-being. The
county-wide assessment has data on a variety of
health-related topics, including general physical health,
mental health, nutrition, exercise, substance abuse and
living conditions.
The 2016/2017 Lucas County Community Health Assessment, for
example, shows that 34 percent of Lucas County adults had
been diagnosed with high blood pressure, down from 37
percent in the 2013/2014 Lucas County Community Health
Assessment. However, the percentage of Lucas County adults
who were obese – which is related to many chronic diseases
and other health problems – continues to be high at 36
percent, while obesity among high school students increased
to 15 percent, according to the 2016/2017 Lucas County
Community Health Assessment.
“We have made some great community health strides in Lucas
County, but there still are many areas where we need to
improve,” said Jan Ruma, vice president of the Hospital
Council of Northwest Ohio. “Smoking rates were down among
Lucas County adults at 14 percent, for example, but 37
percent of Lucas County adults rated their mental health as
‘not good’ on at least four days in the previous month.”
The Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio manages the
assessment and coordinates Healthy Lucas County, a
collaboration of community health improvement organizations
founded in 1999. Healthy Lucas County commissions
assessments every three years and uses findings to help
determine priorities and action steps. Individual healthcare
organizations, social service agencies, government entities,
educational institutions and others also use the data to
make decisions about their community health improvement
efforts.
The latest Lucas County community health assessment aligns
with multiple metrics in the 2016 Ohio State Health
Assessment. Healthy Lucas County’s 2018-2020 Lucas County
Community Health Improvement Plan, which will determine
priorities and action steps based on the latest Lucas County
assessment’s findings, will be discussed during meetings
with community leaders in the next several months.
Healthy Lucas County’s 2018-2020 Lucas County Community
Health Improvement Plan is expected to support and align
with Ohio’s 2017-2019 State Health Improvement Plan, which
identified three priority topics: mental health and
addiction, chronic disease, and maternal and infant health.
Findings from the 2016/2017 Lucas County Community Health
Improvement Plan related to those priorities include:
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Mental Health and Addiction:
12 percent of Lucas County youth in sixth-12th grades
seriously considered attempting suicide in the past
year, and seven percent did attempt suicide. Among
adults, two percent considered attempting suicide in the
past year, and one percent did attempt suicide.
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Chronic Disease:
12 percent of Lucas County adults had been diagnosed
with diabetes, and 25 percent of Lucas County adults had
been diagnosed with high blood cholesterol. Meanwhile,
seven percent of parents reported their children ages
0-11 had an episode of asthma or an asthma attack in the
past year.
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Maternal and Infant Health:
73 percent of Lucas County parents of children up to
five years old put their children to sleep in a crib or
bassinette without a bumper, blankets or stuffed
animals, and 81 percent put infants to sleep on their
backs. These safe infant sleep practices are among the
best ways to prevent children dying before reaching
their first birthdays, known as infant mortality.
The 2016/2017 Lucas County Community Health Assessment,
infographics related to its findings, trend summaries, past
health assessments and other information can be found on the
“About Us” section of Healthy Lucas County’s website:
www.healthylucascounty.org/about-us/
About Healthy Lucas County
Healthy Lucas County is a collaboration of community
organizations working to improve the health of all Lucas
County residents. The collaboration is especially focused on
addressing the needs of residents living in low-income areas
and lessening health disparities to help everyone live to
their fullest potential. Healthy Lucas County is coordinated
by the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio. For more
information, please visit
www.healthylucascounty.org/
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