Community Health Assessment

Marion County · September 2008

A report of the Community Health Assessment Steering Committee

and the Marion County Health Department








3838 NORTH RURAL STREET

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46205

TELEPHONE (317) 221-2000

On behalf of the Marion County Health Department, I am pleased to present the Marion County Community Health Assessment. 

The Community Health Assessment describes the health status of the residents of Marion County, as compared to that of other major cities in the United States, Indiana, and the nation as a whole.  This assessment examines the trends and patterns in the health of the county, and provides useful data against which future trends can be continually assessed.  This report will help to heighten awareness of important health trends; serve as a useful tool for improving the health of the county; and provide a record of community needs and disparities for decision- makers.

Over the past few years, Indianapolis has made dramatic progress in improving heart disease and stroke.  Heart disease, the leading cause of death in the nation, has fallen to second, behind cancer, as a cause of death in Indianapolis.   In addition, due to health promotion and disease prevention initiatives, combined with significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, Indianapolis had the third lowest breast cancer mortality rate of any large city in the United States in 2004.  In the area of sexually transmitted infections, after having the highest incidence of new syphilis cases among large U.S. cities, Indianapolis achieved the lowest syphilis incidence in 2003-2005.

March 2008 marked the second anniversary of the Indianapolis Smoke Free Ordinance, an evidence-based strategy for reducing exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.  According to Smoke Free Indy, the result of this initiative has been an 85 percent reduction in small-particle indoor pollution in all businesses and buildings covered by the ordinance.  Small particulate pollution in indoor air is a major trigger for asthma and other respiratory conditions, making this development a welcome reprieve for people with respiratory conditions and their families. 

The prevalence of obesity in Indianapolis is a condition that will have long-term negative effects on the health of our citizens and the economic integrity of the region.  Obesity in Indiana has consistently been about three percentage points more prevalent than in the rest of the country.  In 2005, one out of four adults in Marion County was obese and another 35 percent were overweight.

A child who is obese at age 12 has an 85 percent chance of remaining obese as an adult and increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.  In 2005, 22 percent of Marion County schoolchildren were overweight and 18 percent were at risk of being overweight.  Persons who are obese in early adulthood are more likely to develop diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and have higher rates of knee arthritis, sleep apnea and other chronic conditions.  Current trends, if unchanged, will have direct impact, as they do today, on healthcare costs and high rates of premature disability, lost productivity and life for everyone.

Local physical activity and child obesity coalitions, along with health department initiatives, such as Heart Alive and Indy in Motion, are underway, targeting adult diets, activity behaviors and cardiovascular risk factors. Both of these initiatives have strong community visibility and support.

Population-based efforts like the year-long development of the Health by Design coalition, a partnership of the Health Department, Alliance for Health Promotion, city and regional planners, other non-profit organizations, government entities, academia, private industries and environmental groups are united in reducing the environmental barriers to a more physically active population.  Appropriate nutritional habits and caloric intake, integrating more physical activity into daily routines, and other evidence-based strategies will, in time, reduce the county’s high prevalence of obesity and associated health problems.

There are many financially vulnerable households in Marion County. This assessment revealed that access to healthcare in Indianapolis is a growing problem.  In a 2005 survey, 17.5 percent of the Marion County population reported having no healthcare coverage at all.  This group coupled with persons with government-subsidized healthcare account for half of the citizens of Marion County.  More than one in ten of all Marion County families live in poverty.  It will take an unprecedented collaborative effort to eliminate the effects of poverty and health inequities in our community.

Community partnerships are invaluable resources in making a difference in the health of the individual resident and the community as a whole.  Businesses, local government, policy makers, healthcare providers, human service agencies, educators, civic, professional and faith based organizations, and individual efforts can provide and promote healthy behaviors to make Indianapolis the healthiest city in the nation. This report provides a road map for individual and community action.

A copy of the full report is available at www.mchd.com by clicking on the Community Health Assessment link.

Sincerely,

Virginia A. Caine, M.D.
Director
Marion County Health Department

A DIVISION OF THE HEALTH AND HOSPITAL CORPORATION OF MARION COUNTY


Community Health Assessment Steering Committee


Frederick C. Bagg,
ABC, APR, Fellow, PRSA
Director, Strategic Planning & Research
St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers

Kimberly L. Curry
Manager, Patient Relations
Wishard Health Services

Don R. Deutsch, MBA
Director Health Promotions and Community Relations
Clarian Health Partners

Katherine Humphreys, MBA
Senior Vice President for Gov. Relations
St. Vincent Health

Steven Ivy, PhD
SVP Values Ethics Social Responsibility & Pastoral Services
Clarian Health Partners

Jon Lewis, PhD
Director, Data Analysis
Indiana State Department of Health

Cathie M. McKinley, MSN
Director, Risk Management
Westview Hospital

Roger A. Brandon, MSW, MBA
Planning Vice President
Community Health Network

Mark Smith, MS
Director of Clinical Systems Improvement
St. Vincent Health

Gregory Steele, DrPH, MPH
Associate Professor
Department of Public Health
Indiana University School of Medicine

Bernice Ulrich
Vice President Data Management
Indiana Hospital Association


Project Director

P. Joseph Gibson, PhD, MPH, Director of Epidemiology

Community Health Assessment
Writers and Analysts

Marion County Health Department/Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County


Millicent Fleming-Moran, PhD
Epidemiologist Researcher

Nathan Van Andel
Programmer/Analyst

Shandy Dearth, MPH
Epidemiologist

P. Joseph Gibson, PhD, MPH
Director of Epidemiology

Jutieh Lincoln, MPH
Epidemiologist

Catherine R Lesko, MPH
Epidemiologist

Mary McKee, MSW, LCSW
Director of Public Health Practice

Jamesey Thomas
Epidemiology Intern

Gary Weir, MS
Sr. Health Information Specialist


Suggested Citation: Gibson PJ, ed. Marion County Community Health Assessment. September 2008. Marion County Health Department, Indianapolis, IN.


Acknowledgments

 

The Marion County Community Health Assessment project represents the contributions of many working groups, representing literally hundreds of individuals. Their contributions guided and enabled the tasks performed as the basis of this report.

The project would not have been possible without the technical support, active participation and leadership of the participating hospitals: Clarian Health Partners, Community Health Network, St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers, St. Vincent Health, Westview Hospital and Wishard Health Services. In addition to the hospitals, other participating organizations included the Indiana Hospital Association, Indiana State Department of Health and Indiana University School of Medicine. Overall guidance for the project was provided by Virginia A. Caine, MD, Director of the Marion County Health Department who envisioned this project. P. Joseph Gibson, PhD, MPH, Director of Epidemiology served as the Project Director to ensure all data analysis tasks were coordinated. In addition, he directed the components and actively participated in the formation of this report to meet the needs of the community stakeholders. Mary McKee, MSW, LCSW, Director of Public Health Practice provided significant editorial contribution.

The Marion County Health Assessment Steering Committee provided guidance and commentary on the assessment process, as well as Marion County Health Department (MCHD) and Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County (HHC) reviews. This Steering Committee was comprised of representatives from major hospitals and other health related organizations: Frederick C. Bagg, ABC, APR, FELLOW, PRSA (St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers; Kimberly L. Curry (Wishard Health Services); Don R. Deutsch, MBA (Clarian Health Partners); Katherine Humphreys, MBA (St. Vincent Health); Steven Ivy, PhD (Clarian Health Partners); Jon Lewis, PHD (Indiana State Department of Health); Cathie M. McKinley (Westview Hospital); Roger A. Brandon, MSW, MBA (Community Health Network); Mark Smith, MS (St. Vincent Health); Gregory Steele, DrPH, MPH (Indiana University School of Medicine) and Bernice Ulrich, (Indiana Hospital Association).The expertise of the Steering Committee was critical in producing a fair and accurate representation of the study results.

A particular note of appreciation goes to Bernice Ulrich and the Indiana Hospital Association members for their generous support in supplying data on hospitalizations and procedures in Marion County. The initial organization and framework for this report was drawn from a report created by the Steering Committee’s Gregory Steele, DrPH, (Indiana University School of Medicine) in 2002, during his tenure at MCHD.  This report was assembled by the MCHD Epidemiology Department, led by P. Joseph Gibson, PhD, MPH, with significant interpretation and writing contributions by Millicent Fleming-Moran, PhD, Gary Weir, MS, Catherine Lesko, MPH, and Shandy Dearth, MPH, and data gathering and analysis contributions by Nathan Van Andel, Jamesey Thomas, MPH, and Jutieh Lincoln, MPH.


Contents

 

1. Executive Summary. 1-1

Organization of the Report1-1

Current Trends and Issues. 1-1

Declining Mortality from Heart Disease and Stroke. 1-1

Low Breast Cancer Mortality. 1-2

Decrease in Accidental Deaths. 1-2

Reversal of Syphilis Outbreak. 1-2

Cigarette Smoking. 1-2

Infant Mortality. 1-3

Accidents, Suicide and Homicide. 1-3

Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. 1-4

Leading Causes of Death. 1-4

Heart Disease. 1-9

Cancer1-9

Stroke. 1-11

Homicide. 1-13

Other Selected Causes of Death. 1-14

Future Challenges. 1-17

Poor Diet, Physical Inactivity and Obesity. 1-17

Healthcare Access and Safety-Net Services. 1-18

What Can Be Done. 1-18

Key Recommendations. 1-19

2. Introduction. 2-1

What is the purpose of this report?. 2-1

What time period is reported?. 2-1

How is this report organized?. 2-1

The MAPP Community Assessment Framework. 2-3

Why does the report use percents and rates?. 2-4

3. Summary Tables. 3-1

Interpretation Notes. 3-1

Summary Tables. 3-3

4. Highlights. 4-11

A. Population Demographics. 4-11

i) Population Changes 2000-2005. 4-11

ii) Ethnicity Composition. 4-12

iii) Language. 4-12

iv) Household composition. 4-12

B. Socio-Economic Status. 4-13

i) Declining Income. 4-13

ii) Unemployment4-13

iii) Self-reported Health. 4-14

C. Health Insurance and Access to Care. 4-14

i) Barriers to Care. 4-14

ii) Primary Care Physicians (PCPs)4-16

iii) Medically Underserved Population. 4-16

D. Health Risk Factors and Prevention. 4-17

i) Health Behavior Improvements. 4-17

ii) Health Behavior Challenges. 4-17

E. Children’s Health. 4-18

i) Infant Mortality Improvements. 4-18

ii) Infant Mortality Challenges. 4-19

iii) Children’s Health Challenges. 4-20

iv) Adolescent Health Challenges. 4-20

F. Communicable Diseases. 4-21

i) Sexually Transmitted Disease Improvements. 4-21

ii) Sexually Transmitted Disease Challenges. 4-21

iii) Other Reportable Diseases. 4-22

G. Social and Mental Health. 4-22

i) Mental Health Improvements. 4-22

ii) Mental Health and Addiction Challenges. 4-22

H. Chronic Diseases. 4-23

i) Chronic Disease Improvements. 4-23

ii) Chronic Disease Challenges. 4-24

I. Hospitalizations. 4-25

i) Payment Sources of Inpatient Care. 4-26

J. Causes of Death. 4-26

i) Overall Mortality. 4-26

ii) Cancer Deaths. 4-27

iii) Mortality Improvements. 4-27

iv) Mortality Challenges. 4-27

v) Ethnicity Disparities in Mortality. 4-28

K. Racial Disparities. 4-29

i) Black Disadvantages. 4-29

ii) Hispanic Disadvantages. 4-29

iii) White Disadvantages. 4-29

5. Population Demographics. 5-1

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and Marion County. 5-2

Marion County Population Growth. 5-2

Natural Increase. 5-3

Age Distribution. 5-3

Race and Ethnicity. 5-7

Household Composition. 5-9

Ethnicity, Nativity, and Language. 5-9

Residence Patterns. 5-12

Population Density. 5-12

Socio-Economic Status. 5-13

Employment5-13

Income and Poverty Status. 5-15

Educational Achievement5-17

Self-Reported Health Status. 5-18

6. Access to Care. 6-1

Coverage by Health Insurance. 6-1

No Health Insurance Coverage. 6-2

Medicaid Coverage and Eligibility. 6-4

Medicaid and Hoosier Healthwise Coverage and Access Issues. 6-6

Usual Source of Health Care. 6-7

Primary Health Care Providers. 6-9

Dentists. 6-11

Hospital Resources. 6-12

Population Changes and the Marion County Health Advantage Program.. 6-13

Primary Care and Medically Underserved Areas in Marion County. 6-14

Available Primary Care Services for Vulnerable Populations. 6-14

Payer Sources for Acute Care Hospitalizations. 6-18

7. Health Risk Factors and Prevention. 7-1

Smoking. 7-2

Health Screening Tests. 7-8

Serum Cholesterol Levels. 7-8

Elevated Cholesterol Levels. 7-9

High Blood Pressure. 7-10

Cancer Screening. 7-13

Lifestyle Factors. 7-13

Physical Activity. 7-13

Overweight and Obesity Status. 7-14

8. Children’s Health. 8-1

Births. 8-2

Infant Mortality. 8-2

Neonatal mortality. 8-5

Post-neonatal Mortality. 8-6

Perinatal Mortality. 8-7

White Infant Mortality. 8-8

Black Infant Mortality. 8-10

Hispanic Infant Mortality. 8-13

Infant Mortality Risk Factors. 8-15

Marital Status of The Mother8-15

Low Birth Weight8-15

Lacking Prenatal Care. 8-16

Starting Prenatal Care in the First Trimester8-16

Births Among Adolescent Women. 8-17

Maternal Smoking. 8-18

Child Mortality. 8-20

Youth Tobacco Use. 8-21

Youth Alcohol Use. 8-23

Childhood Obesity. 8-24

Injury Prevention. 8-28

Sexual Behaviors. 8-29

Immunizations. 8-30

Dental Health. 8-32

9. Communicable Diseases. 9-1

Syphilis. 9-1

AIDS/HIV.. 9-3

Gonorrhea. 9-4

Chlamydia. 9-7

Other Communicable Diseases. 9-9

Vaccine Preventable Diseases. 9-11

10. Social and Mental Health. 10-1

Core Indicators for Community Social and Mental Health. 10-3

Self-Reported Mental Status. 10-3

Projecting Mental Health Service Need. 10-5

Adults with Serious Mental Illness and Addiction. 10-5

Child and Youth Projections. 10-6

Self-Reported Substance Abuse Treatment Need. 10-7

Children and Youth. 10-8

Domestic Violence. 10-8

Child Abuse. 10-10

Homelessness In Marion County. 10-11

Acute Care Hospitalizations Due to Mental Health Conditions. 10-13

Mental Health Care Resources. 10-13

Drug-Related Mortality. 10-14

Suicide. 10-15

Homicide. 10-17

11. Environmental Health. 11-1

Water Quality. 11-1

Air Quality. 11-2

Ozone Levels. 11-2

Lead Poisoning. 11-3

Workplace Safety. 11-5

12. Morbidity and Hospitalizations. 12-1

Diabetes. 12-3

Adverse Outcomes and Diabetes. 12-8

Asthma. 12-9

Cancer Incidence. 12-12

Health Screenings for Early Detection. 12-13

Breast Cancer Screening. 12-13

Colon Cancer Screening. 12-14

Cervical Cancer Screening. 12-15

Other Cancers. 12-16

Late-Stage Diagnosis of Cancer12-17

Acute Care Use: Hospitalizations and Procedures. 12-17

Total Hospitalizations. 12-17

Leading Diagnoses for All Discharges. 12-18

Payment Sources for Acute Care. 12-21

Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations. 12-22

Ambulatory Care Sensitive (ACS) Conditions. 12-22

Changes in Hospital Utilization. 12-23

Inpatient Hospital Procedures. 12-24

Lost work days. 12-27

13. Causes of Death. 13-1

Leading Causes of Death Within Age Groups. 13-2

General Mortality. 13-2

Heart Disease. 13-5

Cancer13-7

Stroke. 13-9

Homicide. 13-12

Other Selected Causes of Death. 13-15

Years of Potential Life Lost13-17

Racial Disparities in Mortality. 13-18

Deaths from Injury at Work. 13-19

14. Appendices. 14-1

Appendix I: Methods. 14-1

A Note about Race-specific Statistics. 14-1

Definition and Determination of Statistical Significance. 14-1

Health Planning Areas. 14-2

2005 Marion County Adult Obesity Needs Assessment Survey. 14-2

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)14-2

The American Community Survey. 14-3

IHHA Hospital Discharge Data. 14-4

National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS)14-5

Marion County Mortality Rates. 14-6

Years of Potential Life Lost14-6

Big Cities Health Inventory. 14-7

Appendix II: MAPP Core Indicators. 14-9

Category One: Demographic Characteristics. 14-9

Category Two: Socioeconomic Characteristics. 14-9

Category Three: Health Resource Availability. 14-10

Category Four: Quality of Life. 14-10

Category Five: Behavioral Risk Factors. 14-11

Category Six:  Environmental Health Indicators. 14-12

Category Seven:  Social and Mental Health. 14-12

Category Eight:  Maternal and Child Health. 14-13

Category Nine: Death, Illness, and Injury. 14-13

Category Ten: Communicable Disease. 14-14

Category Eleven: Sentinel Events. 14-14

Appendix III: Inpatient Hospitalization Diagnosis Code Categorization. 14-16

Appendix IV: Cause of Death Code Categorization. 14-29

Appendix V:  Inpatient Hospital Procedures Code Categorization. 14-31

Appendix VI: Abbreviations. 14-32

Appendix VII: Glossary. 14-33


Tables and Figures

1. Executive Summary. 1-1

Table 1‑1: Causes of Death Summary. 1-5

Table 1‑2: Selected Age-Adjusted* Rates of Death per 100,000 Persons, Marion County, Indiana, and U.S.1-7

Table 1‑3: Rank of Ten Leading Causes of Death, Plus Homicide, Suicide, and AIDS Deaths by Race, Marion County, 2002-2005. 1-8

Table 1‑4: Marion County All Causes Death Rates by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005. 1-8

Table 1‑5: Marion County Heart Disease Death Rates by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005. 1-9

Table 1‑6: Selected Age-Adjusted* Rates of Cancer Deaths per 100,000 Persons for Marion County, Indiana, Comparable Counties, and Healthy People 2010 Objectives. 1-10

Table 1‑7: Marion County All Cancers Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005  1-11

Figure 1‑1: Age-Adjusted* Rates of Stroke Deaths per 100,000 Persons for Marion County and Comparison Populations. 1-12

Table 1‑8: Marion County Stroke Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005. 1-12

Figure 1‑2: Age-Adjusted Rates of Homicide Rate per 100,000 Persons for Marion County and Comparison Populations  1-14

Table 1‑9: Marion County Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005. 1-15

Table 1‑10: Marion County Diabetes Mellitus Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005  1-15

Table 1‑11: Marion County Pneumonia/Influenza Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005  1-16

Table 1‑12: Marion County AIDS Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005  1-16

Table 1‑13: Marion County Accident (Unintentional Injury) Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005  1-17

Figure 1‑3: Contribution of Various Factors to Preventable Deaths. 1-20

2. Introduction. 2-1

3. Summary Tables. 3-1

Table 3‑1: Population Demographics. 3-3

Table 3‑2: Access to Care. 3-4

Table 3‑3: Health Risk Factors and Prevention. 3-5

Table 3‑4: Children’s Health. 3-6

Table 3‑5: Communicable Diseases. 3-6

Table 3‑6: Social and Mental Health. 3-7

Table 3‑7: Morbidity and Hospitalizations. 3-8

Table 3‑8: Health Screenings for Early Detection. 3-9

Table 3‑9: Causes of Death. 3-10

4. Highlights. 4-11

5. Population Demographics. 5-1

Table 5‑1: Population Demographics Summary Table. 5-1

Table 5‑2: Age Distribution of Marion County Residents, 2000 and 2005. 5-4

Figure 5‑1: 2005 Marion County Residents’ Age Distribution by Gender and Race or Ethnicity  5-5

Table 5‑3: Population Totals for Marion County by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005. 5-6

Table 5‑4: Percent of the Total Population in Marion County by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005. 5-7

Figure 5‑2: 2005 Marion County Residents by Race/Ethnicity. 5-8

Table 5‑5: Marion County, Indiana, and U.S. Population Distribution by Race\Ethnicity, 2005. 5-9

Figure 5‑3: Percent of Marion County Residents of Latino or Hispanic Origin, by Census Block Group, 2000  5-11

Figure 5‑4: Marion County 2000 Population per Square Mile, by Census Block. 5-13

Table 5‑6: Estimates of Percent Unemployment Based on Self-reported Status, by Race, Marion County, American Community Survey, 2005. 5-14

Table 5‑7: Estimates of Percent Unemployment Based on Unemployment Insurance Claims:* Marion County, U.S. and Comparison Counties, 2002-2005. 5-15

Table 5‑8: Percent of Population in Poverty or in Selected Government Support Programs, 2005, U.S., Indiana, and Marion County. 5-17

Figure 5‑5: Percentage of the Marion County Population with a College Education by Gender, Race, and Age, 2005  5-18

Table 5‑9: General Health Status: Marion County Adults, by Gender, Race, and Age, 2005. 5-19

Table 5‑10: Self-reported General Health Status: Marion County, Indiana and U.S. Adults, 2005  5-19

Figure 5‑6: Marion County, Indiana, and U.S. 2005: Reported Health Status. 5-20

Figure 5‑7:  Marion County Self-Reported Health Status, 2000 and 2005. 5-20

6. Access to Care. 6-1

Table 6‑1: Access to Care Summary Table. 6-1

Figure 6‑1: Indiana Residents Without Health Insurance by Race 2005 (N =716)6-3

Figure 6‑2: Marion County Households Without Health Insurance, 2001-05. 6-4

Table 6‑2: Marion County Adults Without Health Insurance, 2001, by Age. 6-4

Table 6‑3: Percent of Total Population with Medicaid or Self-Pay Status, 2006. 6-4

Table 6‑4: Marion County June 2006 Medicaid Enrollment6-5

Table 6‑5: Indiana Adults Over 18 Without a Personal Health Care Provider, 2005. 6-8

Table 6‑6: HP 2010 Objectives for Usual Source of Care by Age Group. 6-9

Table 6‑7:  Primary Care Physicians, OB/GYN Physicians, and Dentists, Marion County, Indiana, and U.S., 2001, 2005  6-10

Figure 6‑3: Marion County Dental Professional Shortage Areas; HRSA 2005. 6-12

Table 6‑8: Marion County State Licensed Hospitals, by Type and Beds, 2006. 6-12

Table 6‑9: Health Advantage Participants: 2000-2005. 6-13

Figure 6‑4: 2005 Marion County HRSA-Designated Medically Underserved Area and Professional Shortage Area Census Tracts. 6-16

Figure 6‑5: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Medically Underserved Populations/Professional Shortage Areas in Marion County: 2005. 6-17

Table 6‑10: Self Pay as a Percent of All Discharges from Marion County Hospitals: Marion County Residents  Coded as Self-pay Patients, by Age, Race, and Gender, 2005. 6-19

Table 6‑11: Medicaid as a Percent of All Discharges from Marion County Hospitals: Marion County Residents  Coded as Medicaid Insured, by Age, Race, and Gender, 2005. 6-19

7. Health Risk Factors and Prevention. 7-1

Table 7‑1: Health Risk Factors and Prevention Summary Table. 7-1

Figure 7‑1: Current Smoking Among Adults, U.S., Indiana, and Marion County, 2000-2006. 7-4

Table 7‑2: Prevalence of Smoking in Marion County by Age, Race, and Gender Groups, 2005  7-5

Figure 7‑2: Smoking Prevalence in Marion County Adults Over 18, by Race and Gender, 2001 and 2005  7-5

Figure 7‑3: Marion County Smoking by Education Level7-6

Table 7‑3: Marion County Prevalence of Smoking in Adults, by Race, Gender and Educational Achievement, 2005  7-7

Figure 7‑4: Marion County: Smoking Status, 2002 and 2005. 7-8

Figure 7‑5: Adults with Cholesterol Screening, Past 5 Years: Marion County, Indiana, and U.S., 2001-2005  7-9

Table 7‑4: Percentage of Screened Marion County Adults Told They Have Elevated Cholesterol, by Race and Gender, 2005. 7-10

Figure 7‑6: Percentage of Screened Adults Told Their Cholesterol Was High, Marion County, Indiana, and U.S., 1999-2005. 7-10

Table 7‑5: Percentage of Marion County, Indiana and U.S. Adults Told by a Health Professional That They Had High Blood Pressure, by Race and Gender, 2005. 7-12

Figure 7‑7: Marion County Adults Reporting Multiple Cardiovascular and Respiratory Conditions, 2005  7-12

Figure 7‑8: Frequency of Walking for Exercise, by Gender and Race, Marion County Adults, 2005  7-14

Figure 7‑9: Percent of Non-Pregnant Marion County Residents, Age 18 Years or Older, by BMI Category, 2005  7-16

Table 7‑6: Prevalence of BMI Categories, Marion County Adults, 2005. 7-16

Figure 7‑10: Obese Adults as Percentage of All Adults, United States, Indiana, and Marion County, 1990-2005  7-17

Figure 7‑11: Percent of Marion County Adult Males in Each BMI Category, by Race and Ethnicity, 2005  7-18

Figure 7‑12: Percent of Marion County Adult Females in Each BMI Category, by Race and Ethnicity, 2005  7-19

Figure 7‑13: Marion County Adults Trying to Lose Weight in Past 12 Months, 2005. 7-20

Table 7‑7: Percent of Marion County Adults Who Tried to Lose Weight in Past 12 Months, by Gender, Age, and Race, 2005. 7-20

Figure 7‑14: 2005 Obesity Prevalence by Geographic Area, Marion County 2005. 7-21

8. Children’s Health. 8-1

Table 8‑1: Children's Health Summary Table. 8-1

Table 8‑2: Number of Births, Infant Deaths, and Infant Mortality Rates* by Race, Marion County Residents, 2001-2005  8-4

Figure 8‑1: Total Infant Mortality Rates Marion County (MC) and Comparison Populations, 2000-2005  8-5

Table 8‑3: Neonatal Mortality Rates per 1,000 by Race. 8-6

Table 8‑4: Post-neonatal Mortality Rates per 1,000, by Race. 8-7

Figure 8‑2: Infant Mortality Rates by Death Period, Marion County, 1992-2006. 8-7

Table 8‑5: Perinatal Mortality Rates per 1,000 Live Births. 8-8

Figure 8‑3: Non-Hispanic White Infant Mortality Rates, Marion County (MC) and Comparison Populations, 2000-2005  8-9

Figure 8‑4: White Infant Mortality Rates by Death Period, Marion County, 2001-2006. 8-10

Figure 8‑5: Non-Hispanic Black Infant Mortality Rates*, Marion County (MC) and Comparison Populations, 2000-2005. 8-11

Figure 8‑6: Disparity Between Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White Infant Mortality Rates, Marion County, 2000-2005. 8-12

Table 8‑6: Non-Hispanic Black Infant Mortality Rates by County Linked Birth/Infant Death Records, 1999-2002  8-13

Figure 8‑7: Hispanic Infant Mortality Rates, Marion County (MC) and Comparison Populations, 2000-2005  8-14

Table 8‑7: Percent of Babies Born to Married Women, Marion County Resident Births by Race, 2000-2005  8-15

Table 8‑8: Percent of Low Birth Weight Babies, Marion County Resident Births by Race, 2000-2005  8-16

Table 8‑9: Percent of Babies Born with no Prenatal Care, Marion County Resident Births by Race, 2000-2005  8-16

Table 8‑10: Percent of Mothers Entering Prenatal Care in the First Trimester, Marion County Residents, by Race, 2000-2005. 8-17

Table 8‑11: Percent of Births to Mothers Under Age 19, Marion County Residents by Race, 2000-2005  8-18

Table 8‑12: Percent of Mothers Smoking During Pregnancy, Marion County Residents by Race, 2000-2005  8-19

Table 8‑13: Percent of Marion County Mothers Smoking During Pregnancy by Age and Race, 2005  8-20

Table 8‑14: Mortality Rates per 100,000 for Youth Age 1-14, by Race. 8-20

Table 8‑15: Leading Causes of Child Mortality, Ages 1 Through 14 Years, 2001-2006. 8-21

Table 8‑16: Youth (<18 Years) Lifetime Cigarette Use. 8-22

Table 8‑17: Youth Current Cigarette Use. 8-23

Table 8‑18: Youth Reporting Binge Drinking. 8-24

Figure 8‑8: Percentage of Marion Countya Public School Students Who Were Overweight or At Risk of Becoming Overweight, by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Age, 2005. 8-25

Table 8‑19: Percentage of Marion Countya students who were overweight or at risk of becoming overweight, 2005, by age group, race, and gender8-26

Table 8‑20: Percent of School Population by BMI Category. 8-27

Table 8‑21: Percent of High School Population by BMI Category. 8-27

Table 8‑22: Rarely or Never Wore Seat Belt8-28

Table 8‑23: Rarely or Never Wore Bicycle Helmets. 8-29

Table 8‑24: Condom Use During Last Sexual Intercourse. 8-30

Figure 8‑9: 2007 Child Immunization Schedule. 8-31

Table 8‑25: Percentage of 2 year olds with age-appropriate immunizations. 8-32

9. Communicable Diseases. 9-1

Table 9‑1: Communicable Diseases Summary Table. 9-1

Table 9‑2: Incidence of Primary and Secondary Syphilis Infection per 100,000 Persons, Marion County, Indiana, and U.S., 2002-2005. 9-3

Table 9‑3: Incidence of AIDS Cases per 100,000 Persons, Marion County, Indiana, and U.S., 2000-2005  9-4

Figure 9‑1: HIV (Not AIDS) Cases by Report Year, Marion County, 2000-2005. 9-4

Table 9‑4: Incidence of Gonorrhea infections per 100,000 Persons, Marion County, Indiana, and U.S. 2002-2006  9-7

Table 9‑5: Incidence of Gonorrhea Infections per 100,000 Persons, Marion County 2006. 9-7

Table 9‑6: Incidence of Chlamydia Infections per 100,000 Persons, Marion County, Indiana, and U.S. 2002-2006  9-9

Table 9‑7: Incidence of Chlamydia Infections per 100,000 Persons, Marion County, 2006. 9-9

Table 9‑8: Newly Reported Cases of Selected Communicable Diseases, Marion County Residents, 2002-2005 Report Years. 9-11

10. Social and Mental Health. 10-1

Table 10‑1: Social and Mental Health Summary Table. 10-1

Figure 10‑1: Marion County Adults Reporting Days with Depression Symptoms in the Past 30 Days, 2005  10-4

Figure 10‑2: Mean Depression Days in Past 30 Days, by Gender, Age Group, and Race, Marion County Adults 2005  10-5

Table 10‑2: DMHA Estimated Marion County Adult Population with Serious Mental Illness and Co-Occurring Disorder, 2006. 10-6

Table 10‑3: Indiana DMHA Estimated Marion County Youths 9-17 Years Old with Serious Emotional Disturbance, 2006. 10-7

Figure 10‑3: Percent of Indiana and Marion County Adults Seeking Alcohol or Drug Treatment When Needed: 2003 IN FSSA, DMHA.. 10-8

Table 10‑4: Substantiated Child Abuse and Neglect Rates: Marion County, Indiana and U.S., 2000 and 2005  10-11

Table 10‑5: Percent Mental Illness Diagnoses Among Marion County Discharges (2005) and of Total U.S. Hospital Discharges (2004), by Age. 10-13

Table 10‑6: Frequency and Rate of Psychoses Admissions per 100,000 Marion County Resident, 2000 and 2005  10-13

Table 10‑7: Inpatient Psychiatric Care Providers in Marion County. 10-14

Table 10‑8: Marion County Drug Induced Death Rates per 100,000 Persons by Age, 2005. 10-15

Table 10‑9: Drug Induced Deaths per 100,000 Persons, by Gender and Race, Marion County 2005 and U.S. 2003-2004. 10-15

Table 10‑10: Age-Adjusted Suicide Rate per 100,000: Marion County, Indiana, U.S., and Comparison Counties  10-17

11. Environmental Health. 11-1

Table 11‑1: Environmental Health Summary Table. 11-1

Table 11‑2: MCHD Septic system Violations and Actions: 2004-2006. 11-1

Table 11‑3: Reason for Impairment, Marion County Assessed Water Segments, 2006. 11-2

Table 11‑4: KnoZone Air Quality Action Days by Year for Marion County. 11-3

Table 11‑5: Prevalence of Lead Hazards Among All Homes, and Among Homes of Young Children, United States, 1999  11-5

Table 11‑6: Percent of Homes by Year Built, within Township, Marion County, 2000. 11-5

12. Morbidity and Hospitalizations. 12-1

Table 12‑1: Morbidity and Hospitalizations Summary Table. 12-1

Table 12‑2: Morbidity and Hospitalizations Summary Table - Health Screenings. 12-3

Figure 12‑1: Lifetime Prevalence of Diabetes, Marion County, Indiana, and the U.S., 2000-2005  12-5

Table 12‑3: Diabetes Prevalence In the U.S., Indiana, and Marion County by Age group, Race and Gender, 2005  12-5

Table 12‑4: Black and White Adult Disparity in Self Reported Diabetes Prevalence: Marion County, Indiana and U.S., 2005. 12-5

Table 12‑5: Prevalence of Diabetes, Gestational Diabetes, and Pre-Diabetes, Marion County: BRFSS 2005  12-6

Figure 12‑2: All-Diabetes Prevalence, Indiana and National Population, by Age group 2005. 12-7

Table 12‑6: Marion County with Physician recognized Diabetes, 2005. 12-8

Table 12‑7: Rates of Diabetes-related Mortality, Admissions, and Amputations, Marion County Residents by Age, 2004-2005. 12-9

Figure 12‑3: Prevalence of Asthma, Marion County, Indiana, and the U.S.12-10

Table 12‑8: Asthma-related Hospitalization Rates per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Gender, 2005 Marion County Residents. 12-11

Table 12‑9: Ratios of Rates of Hospital Admissions Due To Asthma by Race and Sex, Marion County Residents, 2005  12-11

Table 12‑10: Marion County, Indiana and U.S. Leading Cancers’ Incidence per 100,000 for All Ages: 2000-2002  12-12

Table 12‑11: Women 40+ years having Screening Mammogram in Past 2 Years, 2005: Marion County, Indiana and U.S.12-13

Figure 12‑4: Percentage of Marion County Women Older than 40 Having A Mammogram in Past 2 Years  12-14

Table 12‑12: Occult Blood and Colonoscopy Screening in past 2 years, 2006: Indiana and U.S. adults 50+ years of age  12-15

Figure 12‑5: Percentage of Marion County Women Having A Pap Test12-16

Table 12‑13: Women 18+ Reporting Annual Pap in Past Year: Marion County, Indiana and U.S, 2004 and 2005  12-16

Table 12‑14: Marion County and U.S. Hospital Crude Admission Rates per 10,000 Population by Gender and Race, 2005. 12-18

Table 12‑15: Percentage of Marion County Residents’ (2005) and U.S. (2004) Hospitalizations by Age and Diagnostic Group. 12-20

Table 12‑16: Percent of Hospital Discharges by Payer-Source, Marion County Residents, 2005, by Age  12-21

Table 12‑17: Frequency of Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations Marion County Residents, 2000 and 2005  12-22

Table 12‑18: Percentage of ACS Conditions Admitted: Marion County 2000 & 2005, and U.S. 2004  12-23

Table 12‑19: Leading Causes for Admission Among Marion County Residents: Frequency and Rate per 100,000 Persons, 2000 and 2005. 12-24

Table 12‑20: Number and Percent of Inpatient Procedures by Age, Marion County Residents 2005, and U.S. 2004  12-25

Table 12‑21: Percentage of Hospital Inpatient Procedures, by Type, Marion County Residents (2005), and National Discharge Data (2004)12-26

Table 12‑22: Percent of Hospital Procedures In Marion County Residents by Age, 2005. 12-27

13. Causes of Death. 13-1

Table 13‑1: Causes of Death Summary Table. 13-1

Table 13‑2: Selected Age-Adjusted* Rates of Death per 100,000 Persons, Marion County, Indiana, and U.S.13-4

Table 13‑3: Rank of Ten Leading Causes of Death, Plus Homicide, Suicide, and AIDS Deaths by Race: Marion County, 2002-2005. 13-5

Table 13‑4: Marion County All Causes Death Rates by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005. 13-5

Table 13‑5: Marion County Heart Disease Death Rates by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005. 13-7

Table 13‑6: Selected Age-Adjusted* Rates of Cancer Deaths per 100,000 Persons for Marion County, Indiana, Comparable Counties, and Healthy People 2010 Objectives. 13-8

Table 13‑7: Marion County All Cancers Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005  13-9

Figure 13‑1: Age-Adjusted* Rates of Stroke Deaths per 100,000 Persons for Marion County and Comparison Populations. 13-11

Table 13‑8: Marion County Stroke Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005  13-12

Figure 13‑2: Age-Adjusted Rates of Homicide Rate per 100,000 Persons for Marion County and Comparison Populations. 13-14

Table 13‑9: Marion County Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005. 13-15

Table 13‑10: Marion County Diabetes Mellitus Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005  13-15

Table 13‑11: Marion County Pneumonia and Influenza Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005  13-16

Table 13‑12: Marion County AIDS Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005  13-16

Table 13‑13: Marion County Accident (Unintentional Injury) Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005  13-17

Table 13‑14: Marion County Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) Under 75 Years of Age, 2005  13-18

Table 13‑15: Leading Causes of Death Having the Greatesta Black versus White Mortality Disparities, Marion County, 2005. 13-19

14. Appendices. 14-1

Table 14‑1: Principal Diagnosis Codes. 14-16

Table 14‑2: Preventable Hospitalization Codes. 14-16

Table 14‑3: Diabetes Related Hospitalization Codes. 14-17

Table 14‑4: Leading Hospital Admissions - HCFA DRG Codes and Descriptions. 14-17

Table 14‑5: Mortality Codes. 14-30

Table 14‑6: Inpatient Hospital Procedures Codes. 14-31

Table 14‑7: Diabetes Related Hospital Procedures Codes. 14-31

 


1. Executive Summary

The Marion County Community Health Assessment describes the health status of the Marion County population, as compared to the populations of other major United States cities, Indiana, and the nation. It also examines trends and patterns in the health of the county over the past few years. The data come from various sources, including birth and death certificates, hospital discharge records, the United States Census, and local, state, or national surveys.

This executive summary reviews the most notable issues arising from the report. It includes the most promising findings and the most worrisome findings, and discusses issues that have large impacts on our current health, as well as issues that, unless modified, will have large detrimental impact on our community’s health in the coming years.

Organization of the Report

This report is organized in nine topical sections, each of which provide the detailed documentation, graphs, tables, and interpretation for the major highlights. These sections are:

·        Population demographics

·        Access to care

·        Health risk factors and prevention

·        Children’s health

·        Communicable diseases

·        Social and mental health

·        Environmental health

·        Morbidity and hospitalizations

·        Causes of death

 

Each section begins with a table summarizing relevant indicators. For every indicator, the Marion County data was compared with the Indiana or U.S. populations.

Current Trends and Issues

Declining Mortality from Heart Disease and Stroke

Marion County’s mortality rates for heart disease and stroke, two top causes of death, decreased and were lower than national rates in 2005. That year, age adjusted mortality from heart disease in Marion County was 12 percent lower than that of the United States, while age-adjusted mortality from stroke was 10 percent lower. Whereas heart disease was the leading cause of death in most of the United States, it had fallen to second, behind cancer, as a cause of death in Marion County. Heart disease mortality in Marion County declined by 23 percent from 2000 to 2005, while stroke mortality declined by 26 percent in that period. Marion County’s 2005 mortality rate from stroke was already lower than the Healthy People 2010 Objective 12-1. These declines are especially significant because, locally and nationally, heart disease and stroke cause one of every four deaths (27 percent of deaths in Marion County in 2005). Mortality from heart disease and stroke has been declining nationwide as well as in Marion County for several years. 

Low Breast Cancer Mortality

In 2004, Indianapolis had one of the lowest breast cancer mortality rates of any large city in the United States. Indianapolis’s 2004 age-adjusted breast cancer mortality rate was the third lowest among the 54 largest cities in the United States. Marion County’s breast cancer mortality rate had declined 13 percent from 2001 through 2005. In 2005, breast cancer was about 30 percent above the Healthy People 2010 Objective 3-3, similar to the state and national rates. Breast cancer accounts for fewer than two percent of deaths in Marion County, or about one out of every 64 deaths.

Decrease in Accidental Deaths

There was a 12 percent decline in accidental deaths in Marion County from 2001 to 2005. Marion County’s 2005 age-adjusted mortality rate from accidents was 40 percent lower than the national rate, and 29 percent higher than the Healthy People 2010 Objective 15-13, set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Accidents account for 2.5 percent of deaths in Marion County, or about one out of every 40 deaths.

Reversal of Syphilis Outbreak

In 1999, Indianapolis had the highest incidence of new syphilis cases among large U.S. cities. Through an intensive, coordinated community effort, the outbreak was contained, and Indianapolis achieved the lowest syphilis incidence among large U.S. cities in 2003, 2004 and 2005. As in other urban areas, the incidence of new cases of syphilis in Marion County continues to exceed national rates. The community effort that brought about Marion County’s improvement was directed by the Stamp Out Syphilis coalition and received significant federal support. Activities included media campaigns to encourage testing and treatment, aggressive case finding, contact tracing, and targeted education, outreach, screening, and treatment. The effort was studied and documented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and has been presented nationally by the CDC as a model of how to cultivate a community effort to combat and resolve a public health problem.  

Cigarette Smoking

While the prevalence of cigarette smoking is slowly declining in Marion County and nationwide, the consequences of residents’ past smoking habits pervade Marion County’s health statistics and one-fourth of Marion County residents continue to smoke. One in four Marion County adults smoke, compared to one in five nationally. Smoking is especially common among males, especially White males (33 percent of whom smoke), and persons who have not completed high school. In the most recent year (2003) with data comparing 44 of the largest U.S. cities, Indianapolis had the third highest rate of smoking during pregnancy, with one out of six pregnant women (17.6 percent) smoking. The 2003 national prevalence was 10.7 percent. Marion County’s prevalence declined to 16.6 percent by 2005, following the national trend. Among women less than 20 years old, the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy is 40 percent for Whites, compared to seven percent for Blacks and two percent for Hispanics.

A consequence of Marion County’s history of high smoking rates is the high rate of deaths from lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Marion County’s 2005 mortality rate from lung cancer was 28 percent above the national rate, and sixth highest among the 54 largest cities. Cancer was the leading cause of death in Marion County, and one third of the cancer deaths were from lung cancer. Over 90 percent of lung cancer deaths are attributable to smoking. COPD was Marion County’s third leading cause of mortality, with its COPD mortality rate being 41 percent above that of the nation. Marion County’s overall mortality rate is eight percent higher than that of the nation, with half of that excess attributable to our excess lung cancer and COPD deaths. Without the lung cancer and COPD deaths attributable to smoking, Marion County’s total mortality rate might have been 28 percent lower, giving Indianapolis one of the lowest mortality rates of any large city in the U.S. Smoking during pregnancy also can result in low birth weight, miscarriages, premature delivery, and sudden infant death syndrome. Environmental tobacco smoke, or second hand smoke, may also trigger myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) or asthma attacks and increase the risk of heart disease and significant lung conditions. Common impacts of secondhand smoke on children include bronchitis, asthma, other respiratory problems, and earaches.

Children whose parents smoke are more likely to become smokers. No comprehensive survey of childhood smoking in Marion County is available, but the especially high prevalence of smoking among young pregnant women indicates that the prevalence of smoking may be unusually high among our youth in general. Unless our youth are prevented from establishing a smoking habit, smoking will continue to be a pervasive cause of poor health status, high health care cost, and excess deaths in Marion County.

Infant Mortality

After reaching a low point in 2001, infant mortality increased steadily from 2001-2004, then decreased slightly in 2005. During that period, national infant mortality rates were stable and consistently lower than Marion County’s. Marion County’s increase was specific to White and Hispanic infants. No single factor appeared to be causing the increase, though most of the increase was in deaths in the month after birth, which are usually related to premature births or birth complications. Among the 53 largest U.S. cities, Indianapolis ranked 17th in infant mortality in 2003, with a rank of one corresponding to the highest rate. The Black infant mortality rate in Marion County was fairly stable and about ten percent higher than the national Black infant mortality rate. However, both the national and Marion County Black infant mortality rates continued to be about twice as high as White infant mortality rates.

Accidents, Suicide and Homicide

Deaths from accidents, suicides, and homicides accounted for 18 percent of the years of potential life lost (YPLL) in 2005. Combined, these three causes of death were second only to cancer in contributing to premature death in Marion County. Indianapolis’s homicide rate was in the middle rank of large U.S. cities, but this cause has a disproportionately large impact on the Black community. The greater homicide rate accounted for over one-third of the difference between Black and White YPLL per person. For Blacks, homicide was second only to cancer in total YPLL. Overall mortality for Blacks under age 25 is twice that of Whites.

Gonorrhea and Chlamydia

Marion County had a high prevalence of chlamydia and gonorrhea, having the tenth and seventh highest rates, respectively, among the 43 largest U.S. cities reporting rates in 2005. Marion County’s rank for gonorrhea had been declining since 2000, when Marion County was ranked 16th. Adolescents and young adults were at greatest risk for these sexually transmitted diseases. There was one new gonorrhea infection reported for every forty-seven 15 to 24 year olds in 2006. In that same age group, there was one new reported male chlamydia case for every 47 males and for every 16 females. Many cases of both diseases have no symptoms and go undetected, so the actual incidences were probably higher.

Leading Causes of Death

Chronic diseases are diseases of long duration and generally slow progression. Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, are by far the leading cause of mortality in the world, representing 60 percent of all deaths.

The four most common causes of death among Marion County residents between 2002 and 2005 were cancer (214.0 deaths per 100,000 persons), heart disease (192.0), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (59.0), and stroke (45.0). Stroke, diabetes, and homicide consistently ranked higher as causes of death for Blacks than for Whites over the four-year period, while COPD and dementia ranked higher for Whites than for Blacks. The death rate for males (1040.7) in Marion County for 2005 exceeded that for females (736.0). Among races and ethnicities, Blacks had the highest death rate (1099.0) followed by Whites (813.6), other races (551.5), and Hispanics (279.9).

In the following causes of death summary table, thumbs up and thumbs down symbols denote positive or negative changes in the public health indicators. Descriptors without direct health implications use directional arrows to indicate Marion County’s rate is higher/lower than the comparison year at a statistically significant level (95%) or is a noteworthy difference according to the analysts’ professional opinion. A lack of a significant change is denoted by the thumbs down and thumbs up symbols together.

Table 1‑1: Causes of Death Summary

Cause of Death

County Data*

Recent Change

U.S. Comparison

IN Comparison

HP 2010

yrs

% Change

DC

U.S. Data*

DC

IN Data*

DC

Positive Indicators for Marion County

Strokes

45

(2005)

5

-26%

(2000-2005)

C

50

(2004)

C

50

(2005)

C

12-7

50

Heart Disease

192

(2005)

5

-23%

(2000-2005)

C

218

(2004)

C

222

(2005)

C

12-1

162

Breast Cancer

14

(2005)

5

-13%

(2000-2005)

C

14

(2004)

DC 

13

(2005)

DC

3-3

10.6a

Accidents

22

(2005)

5

-12%

(2000-2005)

C

37

(2004)

C

39

(2005)

C

15-13

17

Neutral Indicators for Marion County

Suicide

10

(2005)

5

-9%

(2000-2005)

DC

6

(2004)

DC

12

(2005)

C

18-1

5

All Cancer

214

(2005)

5

-1.4%

(2000-2005)

DC

185

(2004)

D

199

(2005)

DC 

3-1

159

Diabetes

27

(2005)

5

0%

(2000-2005)

DC

24

(2004)

D

27

(2005)

DC

5-3

8

Motor Vehicle Accidents

9

(2005)

5

0%

(2000-2005)

DC

15

(2004)

C

15

(2005)

C

15-15a

8

Negative Indicators for Marion County

AIDS

5

(2005)

5

+67%

(2000-2005)

D

4

(2004)

D

2

(2005)

D

13-14

1

Alzheimer’s

21

(2005)

5

+31%

(2000-2005)

D

22

(2004)

DC

25

(2005)

C

NA

Kidney Disease

18

(2005)

5

+20%

(2000-2005)

D

14

(2004)

D

20

(2005)

C

NA

Homicide

13

(2005)

5

+18%

(2000-2005)

D

6

(2004)

D

6

(2005)

D

15-32

2.8

* All data are age-adjusted death rates per 100,000 persons to the year 2000 U.S. standard population. Deaths among Marion County Residents, per death certificate data 2005(DR0483-T37). Causes of death are classified using National Center for Health Statistics categories using the International Classification of Diseases, version 10 (ICD-10) coding.

a Healthy People 2010 objective 3-3 is 21.3 breast cancer deaths per 100,000 females.  We approximate the overall (both gender) rate implied by this objective by dividing it in half.

Table notes: County data: Is for most recent year available. Recent Change: Percent change of most recent measurement from a measurement the noted number of years prior.  Changes of more than 5 percent in either direction are denoted by thumbs up or thumbs down symbols thumbs up or thumbs down.  Neutral thumbs indicate no change, even though no change may be a negative outcome; U.S. or IN population data: Is for most recent year available; U.S. (or IN) Comparison: Comparison of most recent data using thumbs up or thumbs down symbols to denote differences that are statistically significant or deemed to be noteworthy from the analysts’ professional perspective. Note: When there is no public health implication associated with a measure, directional arrows replace thumb icons to indicate the direction of change or the relationship of the Marion County measure (higher/lower/not different) to the U.S./IN measure.  

 

Table 1‑2: Selected Age-Adjusted* Rates of Death per 100,000 Persons, Marion County, Indiana, and U.S.

Cause of Death

Marion County

Indiana 2005

Milwaukee County WI 2005

Davidson County TN 2004

U.S. 2004^

 

2000

2004

2005

Cancer

217.4

205.2

214.4

199.1

200.0

197.4

184.6

Heart Disease

247.8

206.9

191.5

222.0

209.1

233.5

217.5

COPD

57.5

57.5

59.1

54.0

39.6

46.9

41.8

Strokes

61.1

47.6

45.1

50.2

43.5

53.7

50.0

Unspecified Dementia

19.8

28.0

29.3

NA

NA

NA

NA

Diabetes

27.2

25.2

26.8

26.7

22.7

31.5

24.4

Accidents

25.3

27.6

21.9

38.7

46.8

51.3

36.6

   Motor

   Vehicle 

   Accidents         

9.2

8.9

9.0

15.2

7.8

18.3

14.8

Alzheimer’s

16.0

17.2

20.5

24.7

18.3

25.1

21.7

Influenza & Pneumonia

17.2

15.9

19.2

20.1

20.6

20.6

20.4

Kidney Disease

14.5

20.1

17.7

19.6

17.0

12.6

14.3

Homicide

11.3

11.6

12.8

5.9

15.7

 9.5

5.6

Suicide

11.0

11.8

10.1

11.7

 9.6

12.1

10.7

AIDS

3.1

4.5

5.0

1.6

 3.2

13.6

4.4

Tuberculosis

0.6

0.1

0.5

0.2

NA

0.7

0.2

Overall

931.4

873.0

864.0

857.9

854.3

883.7

801.1

* Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population, so comparisons across regions will not be affected by differences between regions’ age distributions.

^ Provisional data. NA: Not available.

Source: Marion County Death Certificates (DR0483-T37); IN: Indiana Mortality Report 2005, ISDH;[1] U.S.: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics;[2] WI: WISH Data Query System, Wisconsin Dept. of Health & Family Services;[3] TN: HIT (Health Information Tennessee), Tennessee Dept. of Health.[4]

 

Table 1‑3: Rank of Ten Leading Causes of Death, Plus Homicide, Suicide, and AIDS Deaths by Race, Marion County, 2002-2005

Cause of Death

2005

2004

2003

2002

White

Black

White

Black

White

Black

White

Black

Heart Disease

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

2

Cancer

2

1

2

2

2

2

2

1

COPD

3

5

3

6

3

5

3

8

Stroke

4

3

4

3

4

3

4

3

Unspecified Dementia

5

8

5

10

5

8

6

13

Accidents

6

9

6

7

7

9

7

6

Alzheimer’s

7

10

8 (Tie)

13

10

11

10

>11

Diabetes

8

4

7

4 (Tie)

6

4

9

5

Pneumonia & Influenza

9

>11

10

15

11

14

8

12

Kidney Disease

10

7

8 (Tie)

8

9

7

11

7

Homicide

21

6

22

4 (Tie)

20

6

21

4

Suicide

14

16

11

21

13

18

12

18

AIDS

24

15

24

14

26

15

23

16

Source: Marion County Death Certificates (DR0483-T36).

 

Table 1‑4: Marion County All Causes Death Rates by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005

Group

<15

15-24

25-44

45-64

65+

Total*

Total

80.1

110.2

173.5

742.9

4865.7

864.2

Males

84.7

185.0

223.7

919.5

5743.6

1040.7

Females

75.2

35.0

123.5

583.0

4341.0

736.0

Whites

58.5

72.7

152.2

682.3

4699.9

813.6

Blacks

116.1

170.9

262.1

1039.2

5866.2

1099.0

Hispanics

106.1

145.1

70.5

311.3

1162.0

279.9

Other Races

52.4

132.3

102.2

233.3

3478.3

551.5

White Males

62.0

111.6

191.5

821.3

5535.3

967.9

White Females

54.8

34.0

113.0

551.9

4197.5

703.2

Black Males

121.8

307.5

375.3

1393.7

7089.9

1386.3

Black Females

110.2

39.2

167.2

755.3

5152.9

897.9

Hispanic Males

114.7

251.3

83.7

515.4

1493.3

387.6

Hispanic Females

97.1

0

47.4

60.5

887.7

160.6

Other Males

53.3

142.8

131.3

325.3

3807.8

623.9

Other Females

51.6

123.2

72.1

158.2

3610.3

541.1

 * Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population

  Source: Marion County Death Data (DR0483-T39.3).

 


Heart Disease

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, representing 22 percent of the country’s total mortality. Deaths due to heart disease have been decreasing in recent years, both nationally and in Marion County. The Marion County death rate for heart disease declined by 23 percent between 2000 and 2005. The Marion County heart disease death rates for 2004 through 2005 also compared favorably with those for Indiana, the U.S. and comparison counties in Wisconsin and Tennessee.

Marion County heart disease death rates in 2005 were generally higher for men than for women, and higher for Blacks than for Whites. Gender differences were especially pronounced in the   25 to 64 year old age groups, where male to female rate ratios were over 2 to 1. The Marion County heart disease mortality rate of 192 per 100,000 persons has significantly decreased since 2000 when the rate was 248 per 100,000. It is now approaching the revised Healthy People 2010 Objective 12-1 of no more than 162 heart disease deaths per 100,000.

Table 1‑5: Marion County Heart Disease Death Rates by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005

Group

<15

15-24

25-44

45-64

65+

Total*

Total

1.8

3.7

21.1

148.6

1197.3

191.5

Males

0.9

3.7

30.1

208.9

1393.6

232.2

Females

2.7

3.7

12.1

93.7

1078.5

161.8

Whites^

1.5

4.6

20.9

141.7

1177.2

187.5

Blacks^

3.1

2.8

25.8

188.8

1312.7

216.6

White Males

6.2

28.5

198.3

1412.6

231.9

White Females

3.1

3.1

13.3

88.6

1031.4

155.1

Black Males

3.1

0

41.9

270.8

1391.4

249.2

Black Females

3.2

5.6

12.3

123.0

1265.2

192.3

 * Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population

^ Rates for Hispanics and Other races are omitted from the table, as the base populations are too small to provide stable statistics after being divided by age.  There were 6 Hispanic, and 14 Other Race, Non-Hispanic Heart Disease deaths in 2005.  Heart Disease deaths per 100,000 persons among the Marion County Hispanic population are 50.7 among men, 22.5 among women, and 39.1 overall.

Source: Marion County Death Data (DR0483-T39.1)

 

Cancer

Death rates for all cancers, breast cancer and prostate cancer fell in Marion County between 2000 and 2005, while rates of death from lung cancer and colorectal cancer increased. The Marion County death rates for all cancers (214.4 per 100,000), lung cancer (71.0) and breast cancer (13.7) in 2005 exceeded the death rates for those causes in Indiana, the U.S. and two comparison counties for the closest year available. However, for the most recent comparison year (2004), Indianapolis had the third lowest breast cancer mortality rate among 54 largest U.S. cities. In 2005, the Marion County death rate for prostate cancer was lower than the Healthy People 2010 objective. The breast and cervical rates were somewhat above the Healthy People 2010 objectives, while lung, colorectal, and overall cancer mortality rates were far above the objectives.

Deaths from lung cancer are especially common in Marion County. The age-adjusted rate of 71 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2005 was 34 percent higher than the 2004 national rate. Compared to the 54 largest U.S. cities, for the most recent comparison year (2004), Indianapolis had the sixth highest rate of lung cancer mortality.

Death rates for all cancers in Marion County for 2005 were higher for males than for females and higher among Blacks than Whites. After age 65, the cancer death rate for Whites was over two-thirds higher than that for White females. Among Blacks over 65, the cancer death rate was more than twice as high for males as for females.

Table 1‑6: Selected Age-Adjusted* Rates of Cancer Deaths per 100,000 Persons for Marion County, Indiana, Comparable Counties, and Healthy People 2010 Objectives

Cause

Marion County 2000

Marion County 2005

Indiana 2005

U.S. 2004^

Milwaukee County WI 2005

Davidson County TN 2004

Healthy People 2010 Objective

Lung

67.7

71.0

63.0

52.9

54.4

66.0

43.3

Colorectal

18.5

19.2

19.4

17.9

16.5

17.8

13.7

Breast

16.2

13.7

12.9

13.6

13.1

12.9

10.6a

Prostate

12.1

10.1

8.7

 9.7

 9.8

9.2

14.1a

Cervical

1.1

1.1

1.4

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.0a

All Cancer

217.4

214.4

199.1

184.6

200.0

197.4

158.6

* Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population, so comparisons across regions will not be affected by differences between regions’ age distributions.

^ Provisional data.

a Healthy People 2010 objective 3-3 and 3-4 are 21.3 breast and 2.0 cervical cancer deaths per 100,000 females. Objective 3-7 is 28.2 prostate cancer deaths per 100,000 males. We approximate the overall (both gender) rates implied by these objectives by dividing them in half.

Source: Marion County Death Data (DR0483-T38); IN: Indiana Mortality Report 2005, ISDH;[5] U.S.: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics;[6] WI: WISH Data Query System, Wisconsin Dept. of Health & Family Services;[7] TN: HIT (Health Information Tennessee), Tennessee Dept. of Health;[8] Healthy People 2010 Objective: Healthy People 2010, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [9]

 

Table 1‑7: Marion County All Cancers Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005

Group

<15

15-24

25-44

45-64

65+

Total*

Total

2.5

5.5

28.0

245.8

1187.8

214.3

Males

3.0

9.2

17.6

267.8

1628.1

272.4

Females

2.0

1.8

38.3

226.8

925.2

179.4

Whites^

2.4

6.2

26.4

232.3

1140.4

205.0

Blacks^

1.7

5.7

40.0

328.0

1511.8

277.0

White Males

1.5

9.3

15.4

250.5

1526.7

254.8

White Females

3.4

3.1

37.5

216.3

912.6

175.7

Black Males

3.3

11.6

28.4

379.5

2254.9

380.1

Black Females

0

0

49.6

287.1

1074.9

214.4

 * Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population

^ Rates for Hispanics and Other races are omitted from the table, as the base populations are too small to provide stable statistics after being divided by age.  There were 4 Hispanic, and 5 Other Race, Non-Hispanic deaths from All Cancers in 2005.  Deaths from All Cancers per 100,000 persons among the Marion County Hispanic population are 18.7 among men, 13.4 among women, and 16.5 overall.

Source: Marion County Death Data (DR0483-T39.4)

 

Stroke

Like heart disease death rates, stroke death rates nationally have declined steadily over many years. The decline has occurred mainly due to improved detection and treatment of high blood pressure. Stroke deaths share several risk factors with heart disease, including uncontrolled high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, and obesity. Prevention strategies include maintaining healthy weight and physical activity levels. Secondary prevention includes early detection and monitoring of persons with elevated blood pressure and adherence to anti- hypertension medications by treated individuals.

The overall Marion County stroke death rate decreased by 26 percent from 2000 to 2005. In  2005, the  Marion County stroke death rate was lower than the stroke death rate for Indiana, the U.S. and that of Nashville, Tennessee (Davidson County), but was slightly higher than the stroke death rate for Milwaukee County in 2005. The 2004 and 2005 stroke death rates for Marion County (45 deaths per 100,000 persons) have met and surpassed the Healthy People 2010 Objective 12-7 of 50 deaths per 100,000 persons.

Marion County stroke death rates for all ages in 2005 were only slightly higher for females than for males, but were 44 percent higher for Blacks than for Whites. In the 25 to 64 year old age groups, the Black stroke death rate was over three times the rate for Whites. Stroke death rates increased significantly for all groups shown in the table after 65 years of age. Comparing race-sex combinations within that age group, Black males had the highest stroke death rate and White males had the lowest stroke death rate.

Figure 1‑1: Age-Adjusted* Rates of Stroke Deaths per 100,000 Persons for Marion County and Comparison Populations

* Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population, so comparisons across regions will not be affected by differences between regions’ age distributions.

^ Provisional data.

Source: Marion County Death Data (DR0483-T37); IN: Indiana Mortality Report 2005, ISDH;[10] U.S.: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics;[11] WI: WISH Data Query System, Wisconsin Dept. of Health & Family Services;[12] TN: HIT (Health Information Tennessee), Tennessee Dept. of Health.[13]

 

Table 1‑8: Marion County Stroke Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005

Group

<15

15-24

25-44

45-64

65+

Total*

Total

0.9

0.9

4.8

33.6

284.1

45.1

Males

0.9

1.8

1.6

31.9

289.2

44.6

Females

0.9

0

7.9

35.5

282.2

46.1

Whites^

0.8

0

3.0

21.1

283.8

41.6

Blacks^

1.6

2.8

9.7

77.9

308.9

60.0

White Males

1.5

0

0

15.5

282.5

39.5

White Females

0

0

6.0

26.7

287.8

44.1

Black Males

0

5.8

3.6

89.6

329.0

63.4

Black Females

3.2

0

14.8

68.8

292.5

57.4

 * Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population

^ Rates for Hispanics and Other races are omitted from the table, as the base populations are too small to provide stable statistics after being divided by age. There were 2 Hispanic, and 2 Other Race, Non-Hispanic Stroke deaths in 2005.  Stroke deaths per 100,000 persons among the Marion County Hispanic population are 44.2 among men, 0 among women, and 20.7 overall.

Source: Marion County Death Data (DR0483-T39)

 

Homicide

In the Indianapolis metropolitan statistical area (MSA), the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) estimated 122 murders occurred in 2005, for an MSA rate of 7.5 homicides per 100,000 persons, the same as the St. Louis MSA and similar to Nashville (8.1 per 100,000) and Milwaukee (8.6). The majority of these cases (108) occurred within the Indianapolis city limits. For the most recent available comparison year (2004), Indianapolis’s homicide rate was in the middle rank of large U.S. cities.

Differences between the 2005 UCR murder rates and homicide rates from 2004 Marion County death certificates may reflect incomplete reporting for all police jurisdictions at the time of the 2005 crime statistics report. Death certificate data reflect deaths among Marion County residents, while UCR data reflect homicides of residents and non-residents occurring within the county.  

Death certificate-based homicide mortality rates for the Marion County population increased slightly from 11 (2000) to 13 per 100,000 persons in 2005. In 2004 in Marion County, homicide was listed as a cause of death more than twice as often as for Indiana or the U.S. populations, and by 2005 it was four times higher than the revised Healthy People 2010 Objective 15-32 of 2.8 deaths per 100,000.

Figure 1‑2: Age-Adjusted Rates of Homicide Rate per 100,000 Persons for Marion County and Comparison Populations

* Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population, so comparisons across regions will not be affected by differences between regions’ age distributions.

^ Provisional data.

Source: Marion County Death Data; IN (DR0483-T39): Indiana Mortality Report 2004, ISDH[14]; U.S.: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics;[15] WI: WISH Data Query System, Wisconsin Dept. of Health & Family Services;[16] TN: HIT (Health Information Tennessee), Tennessee Dept. of Health.[17]

Assault (Homicide) Mortality: ICD10 codes U01-U02, X85-Y09, Y87.1

 

Other Selected Causes of Death

Other selected causes of death include chronic liver disease, and cirrhosis, diabetes, pneumonia/influenza, AIDS, and accidents (unintentional injury).

Table 1‑9: Marion County Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005

Group

<15

15-24

25-44

45-64

65+

Total*

Total

0

0

3.6

19.6

24.3

8.5

Males

0

0

6.4

28.5

32.7

12.4

Females

0

0

0.8

11.5

18.8

5.2

Whites^

0

0

4.2

22.4

26.8

9.6

Blacks^

0

0

3.1

11.2

16.8

5.5

White Males

0

0

7.1

30.9

34.5

13.4

White Females

0

0

1.2

14.5

21.9

6.3

Black Males

0

0

6.7

20.4

28.4

10.1

Black Females

0

0

0

3.8

9.2

2.0

 * Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population

^ Rates for Hispanics and Other races are omitted from the table, as the base populations are too small to provide stable statistics after being divided by age.  There were 1 Hispanic, and 0 Other Race, Non-Hispanic Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis deaths in 2005.  Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis deaths per 100,000 persons among the Marion County Hispanic population are 11.7 among men, 0 among women, and 6.3 overall.

Source: Marion County Death Data (DR0483-T39.5)

 

Table 1‑10: Marion County Diabetes Mellitus Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005

Group

<15

15-24

25-44

45-64

65+

Total*

Total

0

0

4.4

27.7

153.1

26.8

Males

0

0

4.8

38.3

198.6

35.0

Females

0

0

4.0

18.1

129.3

21.6

Whites^

0

0

1.8

22.9

113.6

20.0

Blacks^

0

0

11.4

49.6

307.2

53.2

White Males

0

0

3.5

31.0

147.0

26.5

White Females

0

0

0

15.3

96.8

15.6

Black Males

0

0

10.9

74.7

419.4

72.8

Black Females

0

0

11.8

29.5

247.9

41.4

* Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population

^ Rates for Hispanics and Other races are omitted from the table, as the base populations are too small to provide stable statistics after being divided by age.  There were 3 Hispanic, and 3 Other Race, Non-Hispanic Diabetes Mellitus deaths in 2005.  Diabetes Mellitus deaths per 100,000 persons among the Marion County Hispanic population are 32.5 among men, 44.9 among women, and 39.5 overall.

Source: Marion County Death Data (DR0483-T39.6)

 

Table 1‑11: Marion County Pneumonia/Influenza Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005

Group

<15

15-24

25-44

45-64

65+

Total*

Total

0

0

2.8

7.0

133.2

19.2

Males

0

0

4.8

10.6

146.0

22.2

Females

0

0

0.8

3.9

125.6

17.0

Whites^

0

0

1.2

4.1

128.7

17.5

Blacks^

0

0

8.0

16.4

157.8

26.0

White Males

0

0

1.2

4.2

144.3

19.5

White Females

0

0

1.2

4.0

120.0

16.4

Black Males

0

0

17.6

32.2

154.4

31.9

Black Females

0

0

0

3.8

156.7

20.7

* Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population

^ Rates for Hispanics and Other races are omitted from the table, as the base populations are too small to provide stable statistics after being divided by age.  There were 1 Hispanic, and 3 Other Race, Non-Hispanic Pneumonia/Influenza deaths in 2005.  Pneumonia/Influenza deaths per 100,000 persons among the Marion County Hispanic population are 36.1 among men, 0 among women, and 13.8 overall.

Source: Marion County Death Data (DR0483-T39.7)

 

Table 1‑12: Marion County AIDS Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005

Group

<15

15-24

25-44

45-64

65+

Total*

Total

0

0

10.3

8.5

0

5.0

Males

0

0

16.7

14.5

0

8.2

Females

0

0

4.0

2.9

0

1.8

Whites^

0

0

8.3

3.5

0

3.3

Blacks^

0

0

18.0

21.7

0

10.2

White Males

0

0

15.4

5.6

0

5.8

White Females

0

0

1.1

1.4

0

0.6

Black Males

0

0

24.8

39.2

0

16.1

Black Females

0

0

12.3

7.6

0

5.4

* Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population

^ Rates for Hispanics and Other races are omitted from the table, as the base populations are too small to provide stable statistics after being divided by age.  There were 3 Hispanic, and 0 Other Race, Non-Hispanic AIDS deaths in 2005.  AIDS deaths per 100,000 persons among the Marion County Hispanic population are 19.8 among men, 0 among women, and 11.1 overall.

Source: Marion County Death Data (DR0483-T39.10)

 

Table 1‑13: Marion County Accident (Unintentional Injury) Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Age, Race, and Sex, 2005

Group

<15

15-24

25-44

45-64

65+

Total*

Total

8.8

21.1

11.8

25.0

63.2

21.9

Males

9.3

36.6

17.5

42.6

75.8

31.3

Females

8.2

5.5

6.1

8.7

54.9

13.2

Whites^

4.7

21.7

13.5

25.4

65.6

22.0

Blacks^

19.7

14.2

6.1

28.4

51.0

20.8

White Males

7.7

37.2

20.0

46.3

82.6

33.5

White Females

1.5

6.2

7.1

5.4

53.6

11.3

Black Males

15.9

23.2

10.3

40.0

33.6

22.9

Black Females

23.5

5.6

2.5

19.1

60.9

18.5

* Age-adjusted to match the age distribution of the 2000 U.S. population

^ Rates for Hispanics and Other races are omitted from the table, as the base populations are too small to provide stable statistics after being divided by age.  There were 8 Hispanic, and 1 Other Race, Non-Hispanic Unintentional Injury deaths in 2005.  Unintentional Injury deaths per 100,000 persons among the Marion County Hispanic population are 17.3 among men, 5.7 among women, and 12.5 overall.

Source: Marion County Death Data (DR0483-T39.11)

Future Challenges

The prevalence of obesity and access to healthcare coverage are Marion County’s greatest challenges.

Poor Diet, Physical Inactivity and Obesity

We are only experiencing the beginnings of the health impacts of this high prevalence of obesity, and of the poor diet and physical inactivity that lead to obesity. As with the habit of smoking, the habits of poor diet and physical inactivity produce chronic disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease, respiratory conditions, and some cancers. As these chronic diseases progress, they will eventually result in decreased quality of life, increased health care needs, hospitalizations, and, ultimately, increased mortality. Because obesity has increased only relatively recently, much of the consequent chronic disease is still in early stages. But if the trend in obesity is not reversed, severe chronic disease is likely to become increasingly common. The result may be a notable worsening of our general health status, as well as decreased productivity, increased demand on our health care system, and increased health care costs. As with smoking, much of the solution depends on individuals improving their own personal health behaviors – in this case, improving their diets and physical activity.

The prevalence of obesity in the United States doubled from 1990-2005. Obesity in Indiana has consistently been about three percentage points more prevalent than in the rest of the country. Reasonable reliable estimates of the prevalence of obesity in Marion County are only available since 2002, and have been similar to those for the state. In 2005, one out of four adults in Marion County was obese, and another 35 percent were overweight.

Overweight is also common among Marion County school-aged children. In 2005, 22 percent of Marion County schoolchildren were overweight and 18 percent were at risk of overweight. Even in the five to nine year old group, 37 percent are overweight or at risk of overweight. Overweight among Marion County children was similar to that of Arkansas in 2003, the one state with similarly collected data.

Healthcare Access and Safety-Net Services

While many programs are available in Marion, the health assessment revealed that over half of Marion County residents either depend on government subsidized healthcare coverage or have no healthcare coverage at all. One of every three Marion County residents depends on government subsidized healthcare coverage, with Medicaid covering 18 percent of the population, and the county-sponsored Health Advantage program covering another 15.5 percent. Medicaid covers 39 percent of Marion County children, 14 percentage points more than the national rate. In a 2005 survey, 17.5 percent of the Marion County population reported having no healthcare coverage at all. Public programs accounted for a majority (59 percent) of hospital costs in 2005 and the uninsured (self-pay) accounted for 6.4 percent. Lack of insurance varied by race or ethnicity. Despite being employed at rates similar to Whites, almost half of Hispanic residents in Marion County had no health care coverage, compared to a quarter of Blacks and one-eighth of Whites.

There are many financially vulnerable households in Marion County. More than one in ten of all Marion County families live in poverty. Fifteen percent of residents had incomes below the 2005 federal poverty guidelines, compared to 11 percent nationally.

The Hispanic population increased from four to six percent of the Marion County population between 2000 and 2005. Of the six percent of Marion County residents from households where Spanish is the usual language spoken, six out of ten have difficulty communicating in English. The growth in the Marion County residents who are not fluent in English is creating an increased need for translation services in hospitals and physicians’ offices. The impact may be greater than these numbers indicate; the most common reason for hospitalization is to give birth, and 16 percent of births in Marion County were to Hispanic mothers.

What Can Be Done

Chronic disease programs in state public health agencies across the United States are integrating activities across single-disease program lines. The perceived benefits of program integration include efficient use of staff, funds and surveillance and intervention efforts.

Preventable risk factors for heart disease and stroke have been established by several national and international cohort studies. The risk factors include high serum total and LDL cholesterol levels, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. Non-modifiable risk factors include family history of stroke or heart disease, as well as gender, race, and age. Risk factors amenable to change include smoking and physical inactivity, high fat/low fiber intake, and weight gain in adulthood. Risk of heart disease and stroke may also be reduced through use of low-dose aspirin by adults and appropriate stress reduction to maintain cardiovascular health.

Secondary prevention methods for persons with clinical changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose or insulin function can decrease consequent health problems through regular monitoring of blood pressure, serum cholesterol components, and blood glucose levels, and adherence to medication regimens for these conditions. Significant end-organ changes, such as altered cardiac performance, can be tested by stress ECG monitoring. Atherosclerotic vessel changes can be detected in angiograms or carotid artery sonograms. These tests may prompt invasive procedures (bypass surgery, stent placement or angioplasty for example) that improve quality of life for heart disease patients, but are not major factors in reducing mortality risk.

The incidence of colon and breast cancer can be reduced through physical activity and healthy diet, including fiber, anti-oxidant rich fruits, vegetables, and low animal-fat intake. As cigarette smoking is a direct risk factor for over 80 percent of lung cancer, primary prevention requires reduced smoking initiation among youth, early and successful cessation by current smokers, and reduced exposure to any secondhand smoke (SHS) among non-smokers. Smoke-free workplace ordinances have been increasingly accepted as a major public health policy to reduce the public SHS exposure, while social marketing strategies and increased tobacco taxation have been successful in reducing uptake and promoting cessation in youth.

Appropriate cancer screening tests for breast (self and clinical examinations; mammography), colon (colonoscopy; FOBT), cervical (Pap tests), and prostate (PSA) cancer provide secondary prevention via early detection and intervention in the disease. Early detection and intervention for any of these cancers results in a greater survival rate and lower costs from morbidity and lost productivity.

Nearly half of American adults report that they do not exercise at all, and seven out of 10 do so infrequently. Too many of America’s youth do not exercise at all, are overweight, and have poor dietary habits. Five chronic diseases associated with obesity – heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (e.g., bronchitis, emphysema, asthma) – account for more than two-thirds of all deaths in the United States. In addition to claiming more than 1.7 million American lives each year, these diseases hinder daily living for more than one of every 10 Americans, or 25 million people. More than 100 million Americans live with chronic disease, and millions of new cases are diagnosed each year.

Although these chronic diseases are among the most prevalent and deadly health problems facing our nation, some of them are very preventable. Effective measures exist today to prevent or delay much of the chronic disease burden and curtail its devastating consequences. Families can take simple, affordable steps to work physical activity, good nutrition, and behavior changes into their daily routine.

Key Recommendations

Many factors contribute to health, but behavior patterns have the greatest influence. An expert review of many studies estimated that behavioral patterns account for 40 percent all premature deaths, followed by genetic predispositions, which genetic predispositions accounted for 30 percent (see Figure 1‑3).[18] Below are steps we each can take to protect and improve our health.

·        Be physically active

·        Develop healthy dietary habits, including fiber and anti-oxidant rich fruits, vegetables and low animal-fat intake.

·        Stop smoking.

·        Obtain regular prenatal care.

·        Get regular screening tests for breast, colon, cervical and prostate cancer.

·        Obtain early detection and treatment.

·        Manage diabetes by eating healthy, being more active, losing weight, and not smoking.

 

Figure 1‑3: Contribution of Various Factors to Preventable Deaths

 

McGinnis, J. M., P. Williams-Russo, et al. (2002). "The case for more active policy attention to health promotion." Health Aff (Millwood) 21(2): 78-93. http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/reprint/21/2/78

 


2. Introduction

 

What is the purpose of this report?

This report describes the health status of the Marion County population, as compared to the populations of other major U.S. cities, Indiana, and the nation.  It examines trends and patterns in the health of Marion County over the past few years.  The report is intended to be a useful reference for health care providers, local government, and community organizations in planning services and programs.  The data come from various sources, including birth and death certificates, hospital discharge records, the U.S. Census, and local, state, or national surveys.

What time period is reported?

The report presents statistics for the years 2001 through 2005.  Statistics from 2006 are presented, if that data was available at the time the data were analyzed.  Statistics from earlier than 2001 are sometimes presented to illustrate trends over longer periods of time.

How is this report organized?

The report contains three summary sections: the Executive Summary, the Summary Tables, and the Highlights. 

·        The Executive Summary reviews the most notable issues arising from this report. It includes the most promising findings and the most worrisome findings, and discusses issues that have large impacts on our current health, as well as issues that, unless modified, will have detrimental effects on our community’s health in the coming years. 

·        The Summary Tables present key measures from each of the report’s topical sections.  It contains no interpretive text, but uses a format that may help the reader quickly get a sense of our strengths and weaknesses within each area of health.  The Highlights list and summarize notable findings from each section of the report, and may be a more useful summary of the report than is the Executive Summary for persons interested in specific topics. 

·        The Highlights follow the general organization of the topical sections of the report.

 

Following the three summary sections are nine major topical sections, each of which provide the detailed documentation, graphs, tables and interpretation for the major highlights given in the Executive Summary, Summary Tables, and Highlights sections.  These sections are:

·        Population Demographics

·        Access to Care

·        Health Risk Factors and Prevention

·        Children’s Health

·        Communicable Diseases

·        Social and Mental Health

·        Environmental Health

·        Morbidity and Hospitalizations

·        Causes of Death

 

Population Demographics, outlines Marion County’s rate of growth, immigration, geographic concentration, and socio-economic status of the Marion County population. Marion County’s growth within the larger context of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is also discussed.

Access to Care, examines the prevalence of health insurance coverage, medically underserved areas of Marion County for primary care, and programs that address primary care access among persons in poverty or near poverty.

Health Risk Factors and Prevention, relates data from local MCHD-developed surveys and national BRFSS surveys on behavioral risk factors such as smoking, physical activity and obesity, and self-reported use of important public health screening tests such as mammography and blood pressure screening.

Children’s Health, provides both behavioral risk factors for children ages through 18, as well as factors affecting infant and child mortality rates.

Communicable Diseases, covers the major reportable diseases, with special emphasis on historically important conditions such as tuberculosis, syphilis, and HIV/AIDS.

Social and Mental Health, covers issues of self-reported mental health indicators for adults, state projections for serious conditions among adults and children, and related social outcomes of homelessness, psychiatric hospitalizations and treatment use, violence and suicide rates. 

Environmental Health, briefly describes measures of air and water quality and workplace safety.

Morbidity and Hospitalizations, focuses on two major leading causes of avoidable and high-cost acute care use: diabetes and asthma, both from self-reported data from the general population, and the utilization of in-patient care for these conditions.  In addition, Hospital Discharge data for hospitals in Marion County are used to highlight those age/gender/race groups using common in-patient care and procedures.

Causes of Death, incorporates population census data and birth and death certificate data collected by the health department, to examine the major contributors to premature mortality for both the very young, and for the total population.  Disparities and differences in mortality by race and gender are also addressed. 

Among the appendices, readers will find Appendix I: Methods, detailing procedures used in analyses of U.S. and MCHD surveys, vital statistics, census, and hospital data sources, and for making comparisons to other populations or time periods.  Other appendices list how specific codes were grouped to create the categories used for discharges and procedures in Section 12, and for causes of death listed in section 13.

The MAPP Community Assessment Framework

Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (or MAPP) is an approach to community health improvement through use of standard assessment tools and community-driven strategic planning. It has been adopted as a model “best practice” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the national level, and at local levels by the National Association of County and City Health Officers (NACCHO).[19]It relies on a systems-based, data-informed, strategic planning process involving a variety of community stakeholders.

This report does not represent the result of a full MAPP assessment.  The complete MAPP process would require that a much larger, broader community coalition be assembled, and would involve extensive qualitative discussions about health issues with community groups and other stakeholders.  In this report, we have used just one aspect of the MAPP assessment: the core measures from the Community Health Status Assessment (CHSA) portion of the MAPP process.  This is a comprehensive set of measures to describe health in a community.  The measures are grouped in three broad categories which include the following key areas:

·        The Community: Who are we and what assets do we have?

o       Demographic Characteristics

o       Socioeconomic Characteristics

o       Health Resource Availability

·        What are the population and environmental strengths and risks affecting our community health?

o       Quality of Life

o       Behavioral Risk Factors

o       Environmental Health Indicators

·        What is our community’s health status?

o       Social and Mental Health

o       Maternal and Child Health

o       Communicable Disease

o       Sentinel Events

o       Death, Illness and Injury

 

The core indicators have national or comparative goals or values.[20] A full list of the core MAPP indicators may be found in Appendix II: MAPP Core Indicators.

Using standardized measures allows decision-makers to compare this community’s health status with others and to monitor change over time. The indicators are cross-referenced with other major public health initiatives, including 25 indicators recommended by the Institute of, Medicine[21] and adopted by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for funding of county-level health programs.[22] The MAPP process recommends collecting trend data over five years, and comparison data for state, national, and as relevant, peer-county data to highlight the community’s outstanding health issues, which in most sections, has been accomplished in this report.

The key findings in the Executive summary of this report provide a more focused “community health profile”.  These data serve as a baseline against which future trends can be continually assessed.  The CDC recommends this health profile be shared with the public and discussed with key stakeholders to elicit major priorities for action.

Why does the report use percents and rates?

Data are frequently presented using percentages and rates to facilitate comparisons across groups of different sizes.  It is sometimes more convenient and customary to express occurrences as rates per 1,000 or per 100,000 population.   Rates standardize the number of events within a particular timeframe.  For example, information regarding mothers younger than age 20 is reported as a percent of all new mothers, births are reported as a rate per 1,000 population, infant mortality is reported as a rate per 1,000 births, and deaths are reported per 100,000 population.[23]


3. Summary Tables

Interpretation Notes

Summary Tables at the beginning of this report and at the beginning of each topical section include MAPP indicators, health care utilization rates or other descriptors for which Marion County experienced at least one of:

Significant temporal change (minimally a 5 percent increase/decrease) between a base comparison year (may vary by indicator) and the most recent year available (most often 2005), depending on available data sources.

County data column: Gives the Marion County frequency measure as a percentage, rate, or absolute number for the most recent year Marion County data are available.

Recent changes column: “Thumbs up” and “thumbs down” symbols denote positive or negative changes in the public health indicators.  A “thumbs up” symbol next to a “thumbs down” symbol indicates either a statistically insignificant cumulative change, or indicates relatively stable rates in the indicator over the time period.  The threshold used for statistical significance was p < 0.05.

Descriptors without direct health implications use directional arrows to indicate Marion County’s rate is higher/lower than the comparison year at a statistically significant level (95%) or is a noteworthy difference according to the analysts’ professional opinion. A lack of a significant change is denoted by a horizontal double arrow.

Significant comparative population differences, compared to Indiana or U.S. populations:

U.S. [IN] population data column: Gives the U.S. or Indiana frequency measure as a percentage, rate, or absolute number for the most recent year available (most often 2005).  Sources may include but are not limited to U.S. Census, national or statewide CDC surveys, National or state Hospital Discharge Survey, or National Vital Statistics data.

U.S. [IN] versus Marion County column: “Thumbs up” and “thumbs down” symbols are used to indicate whether a Marion County statistic is significantly better or worse than that of the comparison population, at a 95 percent confidence level.  When there was insufficient information for formally assessing statistical significance, the symbol choice was based on the analysts’ best statistical judgment.  Confidence intervals that did not overlap were considered statistically significantly different. A “thumbs up” symbol next to a “thumbs down” symbol denotes a lack of a notable difference.

Descriptors without direct health implications use directional arrows to indicate whether Marion County’s rate is higher or lower than the comparison population at a statistically significant level (95%) or to indicate if there is a noteworthy difference according to the analysts’ professional judgment. A horizontal double arrow denotes lack of a notable change.

The Healthy People 2010 Objective for most descriptive statistics are included from the Healthy People 2010 2nd Edition[24] or the most recent 2006 MidCourse Review Healthy People 2010[25] for objectives substantially altered or added since the HP 2010 second edition.

NA is the abbreviation used for data that is Not Available, or for measures that do not have a HP 2010 objective associated with them.

Summary tables at the head of each section include both Indiana and U.S. comparison data while the summary tables in this section include only U.S. comparisons.  Section-level text and tables may also include other comparisons with other urban areas where data were available for 2005 or 2006. Metropolitan area comparisons are included in the tables where appropriate.

Summary Tables

Table 3‑1: Population Demographics

 

Population Demographics Measure

County Data

Recent Change

 

 

U.S. Data

vs. MC

% Reporting Excellent or Very Good Health 1

51.3%

(2005)

DC

(2000-2005)

54.3%

(2005)

DC

 

Hispanic Population 2

5.9%

(2005)

(2000-2005)

14.4%

(2005)

 

% > Age 5 who do not speak English at home 3

9.6%

(2005)

(2000-2005)

NA

 

 

Population Growth

+0.3%

 

(2000-2005)

+5.3%

(2000-2005)

 

Graduation Rate  (9thgraders in 4 years) 4

53%

(2005)

DC

(2000-2005)

NA

 

 

Families below 100% of federal poverty guidelines 3

11.5%

(2005)

DC

(2000-2005)

8.7%

(2005)

D

 

Homeless(one-day street and shelter survey) 5

2,080 

 

(2003-2005)

NA

 

 

% Children under 18 in poverty 6

21.1%

(2004)

D

(2000-2005)

17.6%

(2004)

D

 

% Persons in Poverty 

15.2%

(2005)

DC

(2000-2005)

13.3%

(2005)

D

 

% Unemployed 7

5.6%

(2005)

D

(2000-2005)

5.1%

(2005)

DC 

 

Average Families/Month on TANF 4

12,200

(2005)

D

(2000-2005)

 

 

 

Sources for this Summary Table's estimates for Marion County, U.S. and Healthy People 2010 Objectives are found in Population Demographics

1.CDCP BRFSS data for Indiana and U.S.; BRFSS_SMART data for Marion County 2005

2 U.S. Census Bureau Intercensal Estimates (Marion County Health Department DR0623)

3 US. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2005

4 IYI Marion County Kids Count In Indiana, 2006

5 "The Struggle to Stay Housed," 2005 single night street and shelter count 2002 Blueprint to End Homelessness www.chipindy.org

6. US Census Bureau, Data Integration Division, Small Area Estimates Branch. Estimates for Indiana and Counties.7 U.S. Bureau of the Census, Marion County in Depth Profile, Indiana and US, Stats Indiana http://www.stats.indiana.edu/profiles/pr18097.html

 

Table 3‑2: Access to Care

Access to Care Measure

County Data

Recent Change

 

HP 2010

U.S. Data

vs. MC

% Uninsured (Self-pay) Hospitalizations

6.4%

(2005)

C

(1999-2005)

5%

(2002)

DC

NA

% Hospital stays paid by Medicaid

19%

(2005)

(1999-2005)

16.1%

(2004)

NA

% of Population Enrolled in Medicaid

18.3%

(2006)

(1999-2006)

12.0%

(2006)

NA

% of <18 year old Population in Hoosier Healthwise

39%

(2005)

NA

25.1%

(2005)

NA

% Adults without Health Insurance

17.5%

(2005)

D

(2002-2005)

14.5%

(2005)

0%

% Population in Medically Underserved Areas

37%

(2000)

 

20%

(2007)

D

NA

Sources for this Summary Table's estimates for Marion County, U.S. and Healthy People 2010 Objectives are found in Access to Care

 

Table 3‑3: Health Risk Factors and Prevention

Health Risk Factor and Prevention Measure

County Data

Recent Change

 

HP 2010

U.S. Data

vs. MC

% Adults trying to lose weight

48.2%

(2005)

C

(2001-2005)

NA

 

NA

%Cholesterol Screen / 5yrs

71.5%

(2005)

DC

(2001-2005)

73.0%

(2005)

DC 

80%

% Obese (BMI >30)

30%

(2005)

D

(2002-2005)

24.0%

(2005)

D

15%

% High Cholesterol

34.2%

(2005)

D

(2002-2005)

35.6%

(2005)

DC 

17%

% Smokers

24.4%

(2006)

DC

(2001-2005)

20.1%

(2006)

D

12%

% Black Males who smoke

30.7%

(2005)

D

(2001-2005)

NA

 

12%

% Never Smoked

47.3%

(2005)

C

(2002-2005)

54.0%

(2005)

DC 

NA

% Diagnosed High Blood Pressure

27.3%

(2005)

D

(2001-2005)

25.5%

(2005)

D

16%

% Adults not participating in physical activity in past month

27.7%

(2006)

D

(2002-2006)

23.9%

(2005)

DC

20%

Sources for this Summary Table's estimates for Marion County, U.S. and Healthy People 2010 Objectives are found in Health Risk Factors and Prevention

 

Table 3‑4: Children’s Health

Children’s Health Measure

County Data

Recent Change

 

HP 2010

U.S. Data

vs. MC

Smoking during pregnancy

16.6%

C

10.7%

D

<1%

% of 2 yr olds with complete immunizations*

70.8%

DC

77.3%

DC

80%

Post-neonatal mortality per 1,00 births

2.8

DC

2.6

DC

1.2

Neonatal mortality per 1,000 births

7.2

DC

4.7