Explanation of Measures

These measures were chosen because they are among the most important lifestlye factors that affect the health of the people of Memphis / Shelby County.

 

Behavioral Health:

 

% Exercising Regularly:  Exercise is among the best ways to prevent and help treat obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Evidence documents an association between regular, moderate-intensity physical activity and the lowering of several other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including blood cholesterol levels, resting blood pressure among persons with borderline hypertension, body composition and overweight, and glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. 

 

% Overweight or Obese:  Being overweight or obese puts you at risk for a number of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.  Overweight is associated with high rates of death caused by cardiovascular disease, especially sudden death among men and congestive heart failure among women. The high death rate is believed to occur largely because of the influence of overweight on blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, and the onset of diabetes. However, a report from the Framingham Study indicates that overweight is also an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

 

% Who Eat > 5 Servings Fruit & Vegetables per Day:  This is the recommended amount of fruit & vegetables to eat per day in order to preserve good health and prevent overweight, obesity, diabetes, cancer & a number of other chronic conditions.

 

Diseases:

 

% Adults with High Blood Pressure:  The main cause of high blood pressure is overweight.  High blood pressure is one of the main causes of strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, and kidney failure.

 

% Adults with Diabetes:  The main cause of diabetes is overweight. The glucose intolerance that accompanies diabetes mellitus is a direct effect of overweight and is often associated with hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, elevated LDL cholesterol, and depressed HDL. Some evidence documents that diabetes mellitus has a vasculotoxic effect, which is greatest for occlusive peripheral vascular disease; however, corronary heart disease and stroke are its most common manifestations. The risk for cardiovascular disease is three times as high among diabetic women as it is among women without diabetes mellitus. Similarly, the risk for cardiovascular disease is twice as high among diabetic men as it is among men without diabetes mellitus.  

 

Cardiovascular Disease Death Rate per 1,000:  Cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death in the United States.  The main causes of cardiovascular disease are overweight, physical inactivity, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.

 

Infant Mortaliy Rate per 1,000:  Infant mortality, the rate at which babies less than one year of age die, is used to compare the health and well-being of populations across and within countries. The United States ranked 28th in the world in infant mortality in 1998, in large part because of disparities which continue to exist among various racial and ethnic groups in this country, particularly African Americans.  Factors that affect birth outcomes are maternal smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, poor nutrition, stress, insufficient prenatal care, chronic illness or other medical problems.

 

Preventive Care:

 

% Getting Prenatal Care during the 1st Trimester of Pregnancy:  Early and continuous prenatal care helps identify conditions and behavior that can result in low birthweight babies and infant mortality, such as smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, inadequate weight gain during pregnancy and repeat pregnancy in six months or less.

 

% Who Have Had their Cholesterol Checked:

 

% Who Had their Blood Pressure Checked this Past Year:  High blood pressure is another major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.  Elevated blood pressure is often associated with other well-known risk factors, including diet, elevated cholesterol levels, obesity, smoking, diabetes mellitus, and physical inactivity.

 

Mammography:

 

Chronic & Tertiary Care:

 

% Getting Recommended Care for Diabetes:

 

% Who Have Taken a Class on How to Manage Diabetes Yourself:   

 

% Getting Recommended Care for Heart Attack:

 

% Getting Recommended Care for Heart Failure:

 

% Getting Recommended Care for Asthma:

 

% With Blood Pressure Under Control:

 

Environmental Factors:

 

% Who Graduated from High School:

 

Motor Vehicle Accident Rates:

 

Crime Rates:     Homicides:

 

Crime Rates:     Assaults:

 

Crime Rates:     Domestic Violence:

 

% Who Perceive Their Neighborhood as Unsafe:

 

 

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