FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2009
Contact: Jamie Arehart (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 267-350-7699)

One of the Largest Regional Health Surveys in the U.S. Expands to Schuylkill County

Household Health Survey Data for Schuylkill County Now Public

PHILADELPHIA-Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) releases its 2008 Household Health Survey data for Schuylkill County today. Conducted by PHMC's Community Health Data Base (CHDB), the survey, which examines the health and health care experiences of area residents, is one of the largest regional health surveys in the country.

Since 1983, CHDB has surveyed Philadelphia and, in 1991, expanded to include all of Southeastern Pennsylvania (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties). It now reaches Berks, Lancaster and Schuylkill counties for the first time. A snapshot of data highlights and trends for Schuylkill County include:

Overall picture for adults (ages 18-64) in the past year

• Well over half (67.8%) are overweight or obese
  
  • Men (77.8%) are more likely to be overweight or obese than women (57.9%)
• One in four (26.4%) described their health status as fair or poor
• One in four (25.4%) smoke
  
• Source of healthcare is an issue for many residents:
  • 16.7% do not have a regular source of care (representing 21,200 residents). For perspective, this is almost double the number of SEPA residents without a regular source of care (9.8%)
    
  • 6.1% rely on a community health center or clinic
• Women (90.5%) are more likely to visit a medical provider than men (80.2%)
• Nearly one in ten (8.9%) is uninsured-men are more likely to be uninsured (11.4%) than women (6.6%)
• More than one third (37%) of women 40 years and older have not received a mammogram
  

Lack of insurance

• 11.4% of adults do not have health insurance (representing 11,000 residents) and 16.5% were uninsured some time during the past year. Nearly one in five younger adults (19.1%) is uninsured (ages 18-29)

Poverty

• 11.2% of adults live below 100% of the Federal Poverty Line
  
  • Poor adults are more likely to be uninsured (22.2%) than those living above 100% of the Federal Poverty Line (10.1%)
    
  • Poor adults are more likely to smoke (39.1%) than those non-poor adults (23.7%). One in five (20%) poor adults smokes (or has a smoker) inside the home. 23% of these poor households have children.
    

Ethnicity trends

• About 28% of Black/African American, Latino, and Asian adults live below 100% of the Federal Poverty Line
  
• 17.9% are uninsured compared to 8.4% White adults

Chronic Disease

• 11.7% of adults have diabetes
  
• More than one third (34.8%) have high blood pressure
  

Facts about CHDB's Household Health Survey

• The 2008 Berks, Lancaster and Schuylkill Household Health Survey includes information on 3,000 households (1,000 households per county) on topic areas including health status, access to care, health behaviors, and health screenings.
  
• The survey in Berks, Lancaster, and Schuylkill Counties is funded by the Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania, an affiliate of Public Health Management Corporation.
  
• Funders of the Community Health Data Base and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey include The Pew Charitable Trusts, The William Penn Foundation, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and over 350 local agencies.
  
• Hundreds of organizations, including hospitals, government agencies, universities and managed care organizations, use the survey data to help them plan, market, and improve healthcare and social services in the region.
  

More Information on 2008 Findings

CHDB Project Director, Francine Axler and her team will debut a more detailed look at Schuylkill County data on May 12 at Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The event, which is free and includes a continental breakfast, will include more information on the survey, how to gain an all-access-pass to data as well a sneak peek of exclusive data trends and highlights.

For media inquiries, please call contact Jamie Arehart at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 267-350-7699. For more information on CHDB, please contact Francine Axler at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 215-985-2521 or visit www.phmc.org/chdb.