How Healthy Are We?

COBB COUNTY 2014 ANNUAL REPORT CARD

Introduction Established in 1920, Cobb and Douglas Public Health (CDPH) is a health district (District 3-1) serving two metropolitan counties in Georgia and a population of nearly 900,000. The core functions of public health are to inform, prevent and protect in order to assure the well-being of our community and our residents. With more than 30 distinct programs, we remain committed to our mission, which is: Cobb & Douglas Public Health, with our partners, promotes and protects the health and safety of the residents of Cobb and Douglas counties.

We work to achieve healthy people in healthy communities by: Preventing epidemics and spread of disease Protecting against environmental hazards Preventing injuries Promoting and encouraging healthy behaviors Responding to disasters and assisting in community recovery Assuring the quality and accessibility of health care By excelling at our core responsibilities, we will achieve healthier lives and a healthier community. By 2020, Cobb & Douglas Public Health will be an acknowledged leader among health departments in the United States. In order to continuously improve our effectiveness and the health of our people and communities, we will work internally and with our community partners to: In order to continuously improve our effectiveness and the health of our people and communities, we will work internally and with our community partners to: • Demonstrate significant improvement on key health and safety indicators • Achieve operational excellence by exceeding local public health system performance expectations • Champion workforce enhancement To achieve these ambitious goals, we will engage, respect and value our staff and partners, thereby creating healthier lives and a healthier community. 

Highlights

Cobb and Douglas Public Health (CDPH) staff designed the How Healthy Are We? Annual Report Card, Cobb County 2014 as a brief update to several more thorough Cobb County Community Health Assessments completed from 2010-2012. Please visit www.cobb2020. com for more information.

This health report card outlines the leading causes of death and infectious diseases. It presents trend and comparison data for Cobb County residents, including leading causes of death, children’s health issues, infectious and chronic diseases, and access to quality healthcare. The contents of this report represent information we use to assess our community’s current and future health needs. We hope it provides you with valuable information regarding the health of the community in which we live, work and play. Below are highlights from the report: POPULATION The population of Cobb County continues to moderately grow (4.5% from 2009-2013) and has a large percentage of youth. Sixty-two percent of the population is under the age of 45. ACCESS TO CARE Residents must have access to healthcare (facilities and providers) in order to be healthy. It is estimated that 18.6% of residents in Cobb County lack health insurance. This is higher than the U.S. rates. Cobb County has approximately 181 physicians per 100,000 residents. This is lower than the Georgia rate, creating an access to health care issue in the county.

LEADING CAUSES These are the specific leading causes of illness, hospitalization and death in the county: Heart and vascular disease is the leading cause of death in Cobb County, followed by other mental and behavioral disorders and lung cancers. Infant Mortality is decreasing in Cobb County reflecting a national trend and due to the work of many. Georgia has moved from 44th highest in the nation to 34th reflecting important improvements. There is a disparity in infant mortality, however. Among the black population infant mortality is triple that of the white population. Obesity due to poor nutritional habits and lack of physical activity are a major factor in the leading causes of illness and death in Cobb County. In 2012, 58% of Cobb County adults reported being either overweight or obese. It is a significant public health concern for our community. Georgia, like the rest of the Southeast, has some of the highest rates of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in the country. According to the CDC, in 2012 Georgia was ranked 8th in the U.S. for Chlamydia, 5th in the U.S. for Gonorrhea, and 1st in the U.S. for Primary and Secondary Syphilis. This is also an issue that needs critical attention and solutions. This document contains the most current verifiable information available from federal, state and local sources. The data is prior to 2014 due to collection and verification processes. This document contains the most current verifiable information available and verification processes.

Population, by Race and Ethnicity, Cobb County, 2009 and 2013   2009

2013

The total population of Cobb County has grown since 2009.

462,821

469,626

BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN

173,317

191,823

Cobb County’s population increased by 4.5% between 2009 and 2013. The racial and ethnic makeup of Cobb County has remained the same since 2008.

ASIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER

30,956

35,255

3,256

3,575

538

471

13,888

16,440

684,776

717,190

RACE WHITE

AMERICAN INDIAN/ALASKA NATIVE NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER MULTIRACIAL TOTAL

ETHNICITY

2009

2013

HISPANIC

82,116

90,668

NON-HISPANIC

602,660

626,522

TOTAL

684,776

717,190

The largest age group in Cobb County is between 25 and 44 years old, with a population of 210,105 persons. Approximately 62% of Cobb County’s population is under the age of 45 years.

10%

24%

26% 9%

Population by Age Cobb County, 2012 0-17 YEARS OF AGE 18-24 YEARS OF AGE 25-44 YEARS OF AGE 45-64 YEARS OF AGE 65+ YEARS OF AGE

29%

*Source: Georgia Department of Public Health, Online Analytical Statistical Information System (OASIS)

Leading Causes of Death, Cobb County, 2008-2012:

Diseases of the Heart: The Number One Leading Cause of Death in Cobb County, 2008 - 2012 Heart and Vascular Disease continues to be the number one leading cause of death in adults in Cobb County, the state of Georgia and the United States. All other mental and behavioral disorders (including Dementia, Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder) was the second leading cause of death in Cobb County between 2008 and 2012, followed by lung and related cancers, cerebrovascular disease and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

GA GA

GA

Ischemic Heart and Vascular Disease (1,556)

All Other Mental Malignant Neoplasms and Behavioral Disorders of the Trachea, (1,184) Bronchus and Lung (1,089)

GA GA

Cerebrovascular Disease (876)

The dashboard arrow indicates where Cobb County ranks compared to the State of Georgia.

*Source: Georgia Department of Public Health: Online Analytical Statistical Information System (OASIS)

All COPD Except Asthma (820)

CHILDREN’S HEALTH ISSUES

Infant Mortality Cobb County Infant Mortality Rate Continues to Decline, 2008-2012

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012



UNITED STATES**

6.6

6.4

6.2

6.1

No data



WHITE

5.6

5.3

5.2

5.1

No data



BLACK

12.7

12.6

11.6

11.5

No data



GEORGIA***

8.0

7.5

6.3

6.8

6.8



WHITE

7.3

6.5

5.7

5.8

5.3



BLACK

13.8

13.1

10.0

11.4

10.5



COBB COUNTY***

6.7

6.9

5.6

5.4

4.9



WHITE

6.9

6.6

5.2

5.3

3.6



BLACK

12.7

14.2

9.4

10.3

9.2

Infant mortality rates for both blacks and whites are lower for Cobb County than for the state of Georgia. The infant mortality rate in Cobb County is 28% lower than the state as a whole. The rate of infant mortality among blacks in Cobb is nearly triple that of whites and efforts should be directed towards lowering the rate among this population in the county, as well as the state and nation.

Rate = Infant (