| Your Neighborhood Affects your Health |
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| Friday, 25 April 2008 | |
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People’s health is influenced by where they live. Where we live is made up of many physical, social and cultural factors. The relation of these factors to health can be seen with almost every health issue that our community faces. This report focuses on how the place where we live is so important to our health. The Duval County health zones are made up of zip codes. Duval County is unique in that it comprises urban, suburban and rural areas (see Figure 4 below for Population Density Per Square mile). Health Zone 1 is considered to be the most urban area with a population density of 2766.5 people per square mile while Health Zone 5 is considered to be the most rural area with a population density of 177.1 people per square mile. Health Zone Population (2006)
Health Zone 1 contains the largest number of minority residents in all of Duval County boasting a population of 107,001, which is 83% of the Health Zone 1 population. In fact, 41% of all blacks in Duval County live in this zone. Health Zone 4 has the next highest minority population with 32.6%. Census data show that zip codes in Health Zone 1 have the lowest average household income with $21,815 Health Zone 1 also has the highest poverty level with 26% of the population living below the poverty level.
Better educated people have fewer health problems, tend to live longer and have less disease than those with lower education levels. Health Zone 1 has the lowest level of education with 32.1% having more than a high school graduation, compared to 65.1% in Health Zone 6.
The unemployment rate is highest in Health Zones 1 and 2 at 7.03%. This is 100.9% higher than the overall unemployment rate in Duval County, 3.5%. The lowest unemployment rate in Duval County is in Health Zone 3, with 2.41%.
Of all 6 Health Zones, Zone 1 has the highest mortality rate from heart disease. The rate in Zone 1 is 64.7% higher than the rate in the Zone with the lowest rate of all, Zone 6.
The mortality rate for cancer in Duval County is very similar to the national rate at 192.9 but nearly 17% higher than Florida’s rate. Health Zone 5 has the highest cancer mortality rate with 224.9 per 100,000 residents followed by Health Zone 1 with 213.5 deaths per 100,000.
In Duval County, residents in Health Zone 1 have the highest rate of mortality due to diabetes related conditions. The rate is 116.2 per 100,00 residents, approximately twice as many deaths as in Health Zone 6. Health Zone 5 has the second highest rate of diabetes related mortality followed by Health Zones 4, 2, and 3.
Deaths from unintentional injuries have been on the rise over the past 10 years locally and statewide. The rate in Duval County is 45.7 per 100,000 and Florida’s rate is 45.0 per 100,000.2 Health Zone 5 has the highest mortality rate from unintentional injuries at 78.8 per 100,000. Health Zone 4 has the second highest rate at 52.9 per 100,000.
Health Zone 1 has the highest rate in Duval County with 43.4 per 100,000 population. This is 221.5% higher than the second highest rate which is in Health Zone 5. These rates reflect the residence of the homicide victim. In addition, a majority of the homicides occurred in Health Zone 1 as well. Almost three-quarters (73.7%) of all homicides were in the black population.
On the contrary, suicide deaths are highest in Health Zone 6, one of the highest income and education zones in Duval County. Suicides are typically more prevalent among whites. Following this trend, 90% of all suicide deaths in Duval County were among whites.
Health Zone 1 has the highest ageadjusted death rate with 42.4 deaths per 100,000. This is 420.9% higher than the second highest Zone, 5, with 8.14 per 100,000.
The STD rate in Duval County is staggering, with 3,937 per 100,000 population ages 15-24 being infected. Health Zone 1 is significantly higher than all other health zones with a rate of 8,633 per 100,000, 131.6% higher than the next highest health zone. Health Zone 3 has the lowest rate of STDs, 48.4% lower than the overall rate of Duval County
The teenage pregnancy rate in Duval County has decreased substantially overall since 1997, although increased slightly in 2006 to 51.2 per 1,000 female population ages 15-19 years. Health Zone 1 has the highest rate with 81.33 per 1,000 followed by Health Zone 4 with 61.07 per 1,000. Health Zone 3 has the lowest rate of teen pregnancies with 26.86 per 1,000 female population 15-19 years.
Health Zone 1 has the highest percent of LBW babies with 13.07%, followed by Health Zone 5 with 10.0%. Similarly, Health Zone 1 also has the highest rate of infant mortality with 13.1 per 1,000 live births (see Figure 1). Health Zone 6 has the lowest percent of LBW and infant mortality rates.
The rate of asthma related emergency room visits in Duval County is 596.1 per 100,000 residents. Health Zone 1 has the highest rate of asthma emergency room visits with a rate of 1381.8 per 100,000 residents. The rate is 131.8% higher than the overall county rate. Health Zone 4 has the second highest rate even though it is 58% lower than the rate for Health Zone 1. The rate for Health Zone 4 is followed by the rates for Health Zones 5, 2, and 3. Health Zone 6 has the lowest rate of asthma related emergency room visits with a rate of 269.6 per 100,000.
Residents of Health Zone 1 have the highest rate of ER visits due to uncontrolled diabetes. The rate, 114.8 per 100,000, is 220.7% higher than the second highest rate of 35.8 for Health Zone 4. Health Zone 3 has the lowest rate of ER visits due to uncontrolled diabetes. Health Zone 1’s rate is over 9 times the rate of Health Zone 3.
Intentional injuries are injuries which result from things like violent acts. The ER rates provided are strictly a combination of homicide and suicide. ER visits from violent injuries are primarily due to fights and brawls, followed by gun assaults. Health Zone 1 has the highest rate of ER visits due to intentional injuries at 1438.3 per 100,000 population. Health Zone 5 has the second highest rate at 640.5 which is 55.4% less than the rate for Health Zone 1. Health Zone 3 has the lowest rate at 297.8 which is 79.3% lower than the rate for Health Zone 1, the highest rate.
To view this report and additional information about Duval County Health, visit: http://www.dchd.net |
April 25, 2008, 7:26 am
Re: Your Neighborhood Affects your Health
Great article! One question, could the homeless population rate concentrated in the downtown area mpact Health Zone 1 figures also? I can plainly see based on the numbers this would still place Health Zone 1 at the top, but just curious.
April 25, 2008, 7:50 am
Re: Your Neighborhood Affects your Health
What a GREAT article. Obviously, one would not want to sleep with anyone who lives in zone 1 -- laughing here as I live in zone 1.
Poverty is a killer.
Your pocketbook affects your health.
April 25, 2008, 8:37 am
Re: Your Neighborhood Affects your Health
We had a discussion about smart growth, development boundaries and attempting to pull people back into the core, by improving its quality of life or adding taxes for suburb living in another thread the other day. In that thread, I mentioned that maybe the city should offer a tax abatement program as an incentive to bring educated households back into the urban core. If a tax abatement program were instituted, these maps show the general boundary of where it needs to be.
April 25, 2008, 9:04 am
Re: Your Neighborhood Affects your Health
Poverty is a killer.
Your pocketbook affects your health.
Poor choices are a killer which affect your pocketbook which lead to poverty which affect your health.
By looking only at the education statistic you could probably guess which zone would lead the other statistics. It doesn't look like it's getting better anytime soon for zone one.....The teen birth rate is alarming. Is there a stat on single parent homes per zone?
Does that HIV/STD testing bus park on the corner of 8th and Market once a month anymore?
April 25, 2008, 9:27 am
Re: Your Neighborhood Affects your Health
Is there a way to find more detailed info on each site that has a contaminated well?
April 25, 2008, 9:47 am
Re: Your Neighborhood Affects your Health
This is incredible data. Incredible. Thank you!
Especially the diabetes rate info (which I relate to the food desert phenomenon, combined with crappy transit and poverty--if the only food you can get to without a car comes from a jiffy mart you're going to get sick eventually).
War on Poverty is already looking into this, but there's a serious need for food gardens in zone 1.
I can't wait to see the connections between sustainability, health and social justice take off in this screwed up world. It's going to be amazing.
Thanks again.
April 25, 2008, 12:38 pm
Re: Your Neighborhood Affects your Health
Wonderful Article. Very interesting demographics info. But unfortunately, I think a better title for it might be "Your Socioeconomic Class Affects your Health"
April 25, 2008, 2:36 pm
Re: Your Neighborhood Affects your Health
Isn't it interesting that in zone 1, people with all of their problems are much less likely to commit suicide, whereas, zone 6 with all of the education and higher income, is more likely?
That is very strange.
Can anyone untangle that one?
Here in zone 1, we may be self-destructive, but only up to a point?
April 25, 2008, 2:40 pm
Re: Your Neighborhood Affects your Health
Especially the diabetes rate info (which I relate to the food desert phenomenon, combined with crappy transit and poverty--if the only food you can get to without a car comes from a jiffy mart you're going to get sick eventually).
War on Poverty is already looking into this, but there's a serious need for food gardens in zone 1.
I can't wait to see the connections between sustainability, health and social justice take off in this screwed up world. It's going to be amazing.
Thanks again.
jennifer, what a saint you are
How can I help you with establishing more gardens?
I think I saw you last night watering the one on Main.
Please keep up the good work. Its a mission from God.
April 25, 2008, 2:41 pm
Re: Your Neighborhood Affects your Health
This is not only in the zones of Jacksonville, this is universally true. Once a population group reaches a certain critical mass, a poorer subsection economically always means a less healthy population for that subsection.
May 2, 2008, 7:17 pm
Re: Your Neighborhood Affects your Health
Short article about the homeless in Orlando.....I mean moving out of Orlando.
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2008/4/29/homeless_migrating_to_east_orange_county.html
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