Release Date: December 23, 2008
Contact: Christine Patmon, Metro Health Public Relations Manager, 207-8638
Metro Health Releases 2007 Health Profiles Report
Annual report provides a snapshot of community’s health
Bexar County’s local health authority Dr. Fernando Guerra officially released the 2007 Health Profiles report today, underscoring critical data and the opportunities and challenges facing the local community. With charts and graphs illustrating key points, Dr. Guerra called attention to issues such as risk-taking behaviors, diabetes mortality rates, maternal health, and births to young mothers.
“This report is a compilation of a wide variety of data and analysis that is not confined to health,” said Dr. Guerra. “There is a strong correlation between the data in Health Profiles and data from areas such as educational attainment, economic stability, crime, and other community concerns.”
The nearly 80-page annual report provides a snapshot of the health status of Bexar County residents. It includes demographics as well as a statistical analysis of birth records, communicable disease reports, school records and other information. Where possible, the report compares the community’s status to that of the state and nation, indicating how local health contrasts with the federal government’s Healthy People 2010 goals. Death data for 2007 are not currently included in the report due to a delay in its availability from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The latest available data show progress in certain areas, such as:
• Continued decline in the number of Hepatitis A virus (HAV) cases among both children and adults from 49 in 2001 to 12 in 2007; down from a recent all-time high of 433 cases in 1997
• 29% drop in Pertussis (whooping cough) cases from 73 reports to 52
• Decreased number of new syphilis cases from 438 to 384
Some of the challenges that continue to exist are exemplified by the following statistics:
• Health disparities persist in ten zip codes (out of 72) for ongoing concerns, including low birth weight babies, child abuse and neglect, and births to mothers with a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or greater before pregnancy
• 6,814 females aged 21 years and younger, in some instances, may have up to six children
• 30% of respondents (age 18 and older) in a Behavioral Risk Factor Survey reported being overweight, and 16% reported binge drinking
“I encourage everyone reviewing these data to challenge themselves, their agencies, businesses, and faith-based and community organizations to play a role in resolving some of these issues or at least showing improvement,” said Dr. Guerra. “Public health can and should provide a strong support framework for interventions but many critical needs in our community extend beyond the traditional boundaries of public health. Thus, partnerships in addressing these needs are crucial.”
To view the 2007 Health Profiles report or previous editions, click here.
