NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 6, 2012

Contact: Lulu Todorov (215.825.8202 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

In Southeastern PA More than One-Third of Adults Have Experienced High Stress

PHILADELPHIA— The holiday season can bring with it joy, relaxation, and oftentimes stress. Using data from the 2010 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, researchers at Public Health Management Corporation’s (PHMC) Community Health Data Base (CHDB), which develops the survey, provide a closer look at the experience of stress among residents of Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA).*

Findings from the 2010 survey reveal that more than one-third of adults aged 18 and older in our region (37.6%) have experienced high levels of stress within the past year, representing an estimated 1,112,700 adults in the region.

While the holiday season lasts just a few weeks out of the year, the effects of stress may be longer lasting. Increasing evidence suggests that ongoing stress has negative effects on health and can raise the risk for certain chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease and stroke.

Stress and Population Groups in Southeastern Pennsylvania

• In Southeastern Pennsylvania, women (41.3%) are more likely than men (33.3%) to have high levels of stress.

• More than four in 10 Latino adults (42.3%) have high levels of stress compared with 37.7% of black adults, 37.3% of white adults, and 33.3% of Asian adults.

• Nearly one-half of adults living below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level (46.6%) have high stress levels compared with 35.5% of adults living at or above that poverty level.**

Stress, Health and Health Behaviors in Southeastern Pennsylvania

• More than one-half of adults who are in fair or poor health (54.2%) have high stress levels compared with more than one-third of adults in excellent, very good or good health (34.4%).

• Nearly two-thirds of adults who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (63.5%) have high stress levels compared with one-third of adults (33.1%) without a mental health condition.

• Just over one-half of adults who smoke cigarettes (50.9%) have high levels of stress compared with more than one-third of adults (34.2%) who do not smoke cigarettes.

• Over two-fifths of adults who exercise less than three days per week (40.4%) have high levels of stress compared with 35.8% of adults who exercise three or more days a week.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey collects information about stress levels as well as many critical health topics, using a random landline and cell phone telephone survey conducted with 10,000 households in the five-county Southeastern Pennsylvania region of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

For more information about these findings, please contact Nicole Dreisbach at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

* Survey respondents were asked to rate their level of stress on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 signifying no stress and 10 signifying extreme stress. For this analysis, responses of 7 or higher are categorized as high levels of stress.

** Poverty level is calculated based on family size and income. For example, a family of four with an annual income of less than $33,075 in 2009 was considered living below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.

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About CHDB

Public Health Management Corporation’s Community Health Data Base Household Health Survey is one of the largest regional health surveys in the country. The Pew Charitable Trusts, William Penn Foundation, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, United Way of North Penn, CIGNA Foundation, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, North Penn Community Health Foundation, Thomas Scattergood Foundation and over 350 local agencies from the health, government, nonprofit and academic sectors help to support CHDB. To view previous data news releases, please click here. For more information, or to access key findings from previous years, please visit www.chdbdata.org.

About PHMC

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. PHMC uses best practices to improve community health through direct service, partnership, innovation, policy, research, technical assistance and a prepared workforce. PHMC has served the region since 1972. For more information on PHMC, visit www.phmc.org.

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 6, 2012

Contact: Lulu Todorov (215.825.8202 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Risk Factors and Diabetes Prevalence Among Adults in Southeastern Pennsylvania Are Examined

PHILADELPHIA — In recognition of November as American Diabetes Month, researchers at Public Health Management Corporation’s (PHMC) Community Health Data Base (CHDB) released data on the prevalence of diabetes and risk factors among adults in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The data used in the analysis came from PHMC’s CHDB 2010 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey. Researchers found that in Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA), over the past 20 years, there has been a steady increase in diabetes among adults.

Diabetes affects approximately 26 million Americans or 8.3% of the U.S. population.* In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the disease’s prevalence in the U.S and in SEPA. According to CHDB findings, approximately 11% of adults ages 18 and over in SEPA have ever been diagnosed with diabetes, representing approximately 325,700 adults in the region. CHDB staff examined the findings of the 2010 Household Health Survey to better understand the demographic, socioeconomic and access-to-care disparities that affect adults diagnosed with diabetes.

Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics

• Non-Latino black adults (16.3%) are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than Latinos (9.6%), whites (9.5%) and Asians (8.9%).

• Adults living in poverty are more likely to have diabetes; approximately 17% of adults living below 100% of the federal poverty level have diabetes compared with 10% of non-poor adults.**

• Obesity and high blood pressure are correlated with diabetes. Adults who are obese are nearly five times more likely to have diabetes than those with a normal weight (21.4% compared with 4.3%, respectively). Similarly, adults with high blood pressure are five times more likely to have diabetes compared with adults who do not have high blood pressure (24.1% compared to 4.8%, respectively).

Access to Care Characteristics

• The majority of adults with diagnosed diabetes have a regular source of care (93.0%). This is a higher percentage than adults without diabetes (89.1%).

• However, adults diagnosed with diabetes are less likely to go to a doctor’s office as a regular source of care (81%) compared with adults who do not have diabetes (87%). Adults with diabetes are more likely to go to a community health center (7.5%), hospital outpatient clinic (7.2%) or emergency room (7.2%) than adults without diabetes.

• Of uninsured adults, those diagnosed with diabetes are more likely to have visited an emergency room in the last year than uninsured adults who do not have diabetes (55.3% compared with 44.7%).

The large number of adults diagnosed with diabetes in Southeastern Pennsylvania illustrates that diabetes has quickly become a rising regional health concern, which matches national trends. The demographic and socioeconomic disparities among those diagnosed with diabetes also illustrate the need for targeted prevention among poor, black and Latino populations.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey collects data, including information about diabetes diagnoses among many critical topics, from a random landline and cell phone telephone survey conducted with 10,000 households in the five-county Southeastern Pennsylvania region of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

For more information about the study findings, contact Amy Clark at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

* National Diabetes Education Program. (2012) The Facts About Diabetes: A leading cause of death in the U.S. Retrieved online on October 10, 2012 at http://ndep.nih.gov/diabetes-facts/index.aspx#whatisdiabetes

**Poverty level is calculated based on family size and income. For example, a family of four with an annual income of less than $33,075 in 2009 was considered living below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.

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About CHDB

Public Health Management Corporation’s Community Health Data Base Household Health Survey is one of the largest regional health surveys in the country. The Pew Charitable Trusts, William Penn Foundation, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, United Way of North Penn, CIGNA Foundation, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, North Penn Community Health Foundation, Thomas Scattergood Foundation and over 350 local agencies from the health, government, nonprofit and academic sectors help to support CHDB. To view previous data news releases, please click here. For more information, or to access key findings from previous years, please visit www.chdbdata.org.

About PHMC

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. PHMC uses best practices to improve community health through direct service, partnership, innovation, policy, research, technical assistance and a prepared workforce. PHMC has served the region since 1972. For more information on PHMC, visit www.phmc.org.

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 15, 2012

Contact: Lulu Todorov (215.825.8202 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Survey Examines Health Care Experiences and Needs of LGBT Elders in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA— Last month, researchers at Public Health Management Corporation’s (PHMC) Research and Evaluation Group hosted a town hall meeting in the heart of Philadelphia’s Gayborhood about a recent study titled “Assessment of Health Needs of LGBT Older Adults in Philadelphia”. The study and discussion focused on the unique health care issues impacting LGBT older adults. Among other findings, the study revealed that 39% of study participants reported negative experiences with health care providers. Two-thirds of those reporting a negative experience attributed this mistreatment to their sexual orientation or gender presentation or identity.

“There was a great deal of interest from the LGBT community about our study,” says research associate Lee Carson, who worked on the assessment project and presented the results at the town hall. “We wanted to share our findings with care providers and the community, keep them engaged in conversation and get recommendations from them.” The release of the study’s results coincides with acceptance of Pennsylvania’s 2012-2016 State Plan on Aging by the US Administration on Aging and the Administration for Community Living, which included input from PHMC researchers on LGBT elder issues.

The study, funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund, assessed the health care experiences and needs of LGBT older adults in Philadelphia, documented barriers to accessing health care and recommended screenings. It also explored LGBT older adults’ plans and concerns for the future, including housing and long-term care, and developed policy recommendations to be shared with government agencies and organizations providing services to older adults. “The study found that a significant number of participants reported that they delayed or were unable to obtain medications, dental care and medical care because of insurance and other factors,” says Carson. “These are things providers need to know.”

The study started with a series of focus groups and individual interviews, which helped to inform the development of the survey instrument. In addition to the qualitative data, the study includes data from 215 self-administered surveys of persons 55 or older living in the Philadelphia area who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender, or reported a same-sex partner in the past 12 months. All data collection procedures and instruments were developed in collaboration with the project’s Community Advisory Board, which included members of the LGBT community and service providers.

Brenda Clark, 54, a recent retiree and gay woman, joined the Community Advisory Board because she is concerned about her future and the future of other LGBT women. “I wanted to look at the issues that affect women who have trouble accessing healthcare,” says Clark. “I’ve always had health insurance and caring providers, but I know not everybody is that lucky.”

At the town hall meeting, Clark joined more than 60 others from the LGBT community in giving recommendations that the researchers can implement as part of their project. Audience members provided input in three focus areas: health information for older adults, access to care and social services. Recommendations included more education and outreach targeting older LGBT adults; increased social spaces and programs affirming of older LGBT adults to help decrease isolation; sensitivity training for providers of care and increased availability of sexual health information tailored to the needs of older adults.

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About PHMC

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. PHMC uses best practices to improve community health through direct service, partnership, innovation, policy, research, technical assistance and a prepared workforce. PHMC has served the region since 1972. For more information on PHMC, visit www.phmc.org.

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 4, 2012

Contact: Lulu Todorov (215.825.8202 orThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Survey Examines Mammogram Screening Prevalence among Area Women

PHILADELPHIA—To commemorate October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, researchers at Public Health Management Corporation’s (PHMC) Community Health Data Base (CHDB) released data on women 40 years of age or older who have never received a mammogram screening for breast cancer. The data used in the analysis came from PHMC’s CHDB 2010 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey. Researchers found that in Southeastern Pennsylvania 6.4% of women 40 years of age or older had never received a mammogram screening for breast cancer. This percentage represents more than 68,000 women in the region. The analysis also highlights socio-economic differences among women never screened. Additionally, the survey found that many women who were never screened are also disconnected from the healthcare system at large

In the United States, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2012, an estimated 226,900 new cases of female breast cancer will be diagnosed and 39,500 women’s lives are expected to be claimed by this disease.* CHDB staff examined the findings of the 2010 Household Health Survey to better understand the demographic, socio-economic and access-to-care disparities among women 40 or older who had never received a mammogram screening.

Across the five-county Southeastern Pennsylvania region, the percentages of women who never received a mammogram screening for breast cancer include: 7.5% in Philadelphia County, 6.4% in Delaware County, 6.3% in Bucks County, 5.3% in Montgomery County, and 4.9% in Chester County.

Demographic and Socio-economic Characteristics

• In general, as the level of educational attainment increases, the percentage of women who never received a mammogram screening decreases: 8.1% of women with less than a high school diploma; 7.1% of women with a high school diploma; 7.4% of women with some college education; 5.6% of women with a college degree; and 3.6% of women with a post-graduate degree never received a mammogram.

• Women living below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level** (11.0%) are more than twice as likely as women living at or above that level (5.2%) to have never received a mammogram screening.

• Approximately one in 13 black women (7.8%) and one in 14 Latina women (7.1%) never received a mammogram screening, followed by 5.7% of white women.

Access to Care Characteristics

• In Southeastern Pennsylvania, women without a regular source of health care (14.7%) are more than twice as likely as women with a regular source of health care (5.9%) to have never received a mammogram screening.

• Among women 40-64 years of age, those who are uninsured (18.3%) are more than three times as likely as those who are insured (5.7%) to have never received a mammogram screening.

For more information about the study findings, contact Nicole Dreisbach at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey collects information, including cancer screenings among many critical topics, from a random landline and cell phone telephone survey conducted with 10,000 households in the five-county Southeastern Pennsylvania region of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

*American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2012. Atlanta: American Cancer Society;2012. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-031941.pdf. Accessed 9/17/2012.

**Poverty level is calculated based on family size and income. For example, a family of four with an annual income of less than $33,075 in 2009 was considered living below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.

###

About CHDB

Public Health Management Corporation’s Community Health Data Base Household Health Survey is one of the largest regional health surveys in the country. The Pew Charitable Trusts, William Penn Foundation, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, United Way of North Penn, CIGNA Foundation, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, North Penn Community Health Foundation, Thomas Scattergood Foundation and over 350 local agencies from the health, government, nonprofit and academic sectors help to support CHDB. To view previous data news releases, please click here. For more information, or to access key findings from previous years, please visit www.chdbdata.org.

About PHMC

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. PHMC uses best practices to improve community health through direct service, partnership, innovation, policy, research, technical assistance and a prepared workforce. PHMC has served the region since 1972. For more information on PHMC, visit www.phmc.org.