HEALTH EQUITY SCORECARD OWEN COUNTY

INTRODUCTION

The equity scorecard is a tool and resource for evaluating how the various geographical, economic, and population make-up affect the health of a particular area or group. Inequities can be found in people of varying races and ethnicities, as well as in people who live in a particular geography, regardless of race or ethnicity. The scorecard framework is aligned with social determinants of health and will aide in the development of practical strategies to assist with implementing institutional change that will lead to equitable health outcomes for all persons.

CENSUS TRACTS

Census tracts are small, permanent statistical subdivisions of a county. Each is uniquely numbered with a numeric code. Each tract generally averages about 4,000 inhabitants with a minimum population of 1,200 and a maximum of 8,000.

POPULATION

Understanding the data: Each number highlighted in red indicates the highest ratio and green represents the lowest ratio of the population to whites for the geographic area measured. Higher areas of segregation are often associated with poorer health outcomes and equity.

Indicator Measure Years Type CT9701 CT9701.01 CT9701.02 CT9703
Population White 2018-21 Quantity 2,960 2,800 2,227 2,620
Black/African American 2018-21 Quantity 7 20 26 0
Other Race(s) 2018-21 Quantity 215 92 7 186
Hispanic 2018-21 Quantity 16 0 29 0
Not Hispanic 2018-21 Quantity 3,166 2,912 2,231 2,806
Ratio of Whites to each African American Resident 2018-21 Ratio 423 140 86 0
Ratio of Whites to each Other Race Resident 2018-21 Ratio 14 30 318 14
Ratio of Not Hispanic to each Hispanic Resident 2018-21 Ratio 185 0 77 0
Community Dissimilarity Index 2018-21 Index 0.49 0.63 0.58 0.62

Observations

  • The African American population is primarily segregated into Census Tract 9702.02, Owenton and Hesler, in Owen County where there are only 86 whites for each African American resident. Conversely, there are 423 whites per African American in CT 9701 and no African American residents in CT 9703.

  • To completely desegregate Owen County, 8 African Americans would need to move into CT 9701 and 13 into CT 9703 from the Owenton and Perry Park areas in CT 9702.01 and 9702.02. It is important to note however that segregation can occur in smaller geographic areas including neighborhoods or even streets. Consequently, simply increasing the population dispersal by census tract may have little to no impact on health status and/or segregation. Given the rurality of the county and the size of the population, neighborhood and street level data is not available.

EDUCATION AND INCOME

Understanding the data: There is generally a direct correlation between level of education and median household income for a population. Income affects health in a variety of ways including access to care, higher rates of obesity, and higher rates of smoking all of which are linked with poorer health outcomes.

The gini index measures the distribution of income across a population. The higher the index value, the less income is spread across the population and the more income fewer people have than the majority of the population.

IndicatorMeasureYearsTypeCT9701CT9702.01CT9702.02CT9703
IncomeMedian HH Income2018-21Dollars258-966-7,7381,853
 Inequality Index – Gini2018-21Index0.43350.44440.45870.4560
EducationIndividuals 25 and over with no high school diploma2018-21Percent15.814.714.024.0

Observations

  • Persons living in CT 9702.02, Owenton, are at a significant economic disadvantage when compared with the median household income for Owen County, having a median household income of -$7,738 less than the average Owen County household.

  • Income is spread most equally among households in CT 9701 with a Gini index of .4335 which measures the dispersion of income across the entire income distribution. Where 0 is perfect income distribution and 1 is perfect inequitable distribution. The U.S. Gini index 5-year estimates for 2018-21 is .4848 and Kentucky is .4767.

HOUSING

Understanding the data: Poor housing quality and inadequate conditions such as overcrowding, incomplete or the lack of a kitchen, and access to a vehicle can lead to poorer health outcomes including chronic disease and injury. Areas with higher rates suffer more disadvantages that can affect health outcomes than in other areas of the same population.

IndicatorMeasureYearsTypeCT9701CT9702.01CT9702.02CT9703
HousingHomeowner with a mortgage 35% or more of HH Income2018-21Percent10.811.825.942.2
 Homeowner without mortgage 35% or more of HH Income2018-21Percent16.81.43.07.1
 Rental costs 35% or more of HH income2018-21Percent0.026.529.829.9
 Occupied housing units without access to a vehicle2018-21Percent3.21.84.51.8
 Occupied housing units lacking a complete kitchen2018-21Percent0.600.00.00.1
 Occupied housing units with more than 1.51 occupants per room2018-21Percent0.00.00.00.3
 Proportion of children under 18 in single parent household2018-21Percent36.031.08.025.0
 Median owner-occupied housing unit value2018-21Dollars96,300108,800136,800148,700

Observations

  • Thirty-six percent of children under 18 living in a single parent household live in CT 9701, including Sparta, Jonesville, Long Ridge, New Liberty, Poplar Grove and Wheatley areas.
  • In the Owenton/Hesler area, 4.5% of households are without access to a vehicle.
  • Additionally, 42.2% of households having a mortgage that is more than 35% of their household income live in CT 9703.

HEALTH STATUS AND HEALTH RISK BEHAVIORS

Understanding the data: Each measure highlighted in red reflects poorer health status, less compliance with prevention services and higher rates of the population participating in risky health behaviors.

A population’s current health status and health risk behaviors are good indicators for identifying opportunities for action to help improve health outcomes.

Indicator Measure Years Type CT9701 CT9702 CT9703
Health Status Physical health not good for >=14 days among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 15.4 15.6 16.6
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 22.8 23.0 24.5
Mental health not good for >=14 days among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 18.7 18.7 19.6
Prevention Cervical cancer screening among adult women aged 21-65 years 2020 Percent 79.9 79.9 79.2
Cholesterol screening among adults aged >=18 years 2019 Percent 89.7 89.0 89.1
Fecal occult blood test, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy among adults aged 50-75 years 2020 Percent 69.3 69.5 67.8
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years 2020 Percent 72.0 71.9 71.1
Older adult men aged >=65 years who are up to date on a core set of clinical preventive services: Flu shot past year, PPV shot ever, Colorectal cancer screening 2020 Percent 41.3 41.6 40.4
Older adult women aged >=65 years who are up to date on a core set of clinical preventive services: Flu shot past year, PPV shot ever, Colorectal cancer screening, and Mammogram past 2 years 2020 Percent 37.1 37.2 36.3
Taking medicine for high blood pressure control among adults aged >=18 years with high blood pressure 2019 Percent 77.6 78.3 77.3
Visits to dentist or dental clinic among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 49.7 50.0 47.4
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 75.9 76.0 75.4
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years 2020 Percent 12.4 11.7 13.0
Health Risk Behaviors Binge drinking among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 15.3 15.1 15.5
Current smoking among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 26.7 25.9 29.0
No leisure-time physical activity among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 34.3 34.2 35.5
Sleeping less than 7 hours among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 37.5 36.9 38.1

Observations

  • Census Tract 9702 was redistricted into 9702.01 and 9702.02 as of the 2020 census. The vast majority of health status measures and prevention actions are the poorest in CT 9703, encompassing the Lusby’s Mill, Monterey, and New Columbus areas.
  • Additionally, populations with the highest level of health risk behaviors also live in CT 9703.

HEALTH OUTCOMES

Understanding the data: Health outcomes are those conditions or events that occur as a result of lack of intervention, poor health behaviors, and other social determinants of health that affect one’s health status. Outcomes can have a direct impact on one’s overall health. As an example, those who have strokes can lose their ability to care for themselves, experience paralysis, and lose their ability to get exercise resulting in obesity and additional health issues.

Indicator Measure Years Type CT9701 CT9702 CT9703
Health Outcomes All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years 2020 Percent 22.0 22.0 23.8
Arthritis among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 33.0 34.0 34.0
Cancer (excluding skin cancer) among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 6.6 7.1 6.6
Chronic kidney disease among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 3.3 3.4 3.4
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 11.6 12.0 12.8
Coronary heart disease among adults aged >=18 years 2019 Percent 8.2 8.5 8.5
Current asthma among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 11.5 11.6 11.9
Depression among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 26.4 26.6 27.6
Diagnosed diabetes among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 12.8 13.1 13.3
High blood pressure among adults aged >=18 years 2019 Percent 42.9 43.3 43.7
High cholesterol among adults aged >=18 years who have been screened in the past 5 years 2019 Percent 38.0 38.4 38.7
Obesity among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 39.4 38.7 40.1
Stroke among adults aged >=18 years 2020 Percent 3.7 3.9 4.0

Observations

  • Persons living in CT 9703 have the poorest health outcomes in the county ranking highest in 9 out of the 13 health outcomes and tying for the poorest outcomes in 3 additional measures.

MORTALITY

Understanding the data: Ratios are a comparison between two numbers. In this case we are comparing the rate at which the dominant race dies from a particular cause with the rate of which another race dies from the same cause. For example: 6.5 African Americans die for every white person that dies from hypertension or hypertensive renal disease.

#Parkinson disease (G20-G21) 1999-20Ratio16.50.0
Indicator Measure Years Type Whites African American/Black Other Races
Cause of death #Diseases of heart (I00-I09,I11,I13,I20-I51) 1999-20 Ratio 1 1.7 0.5
#Malignant neoplasms (C00-C97)  1999-20 Ratio 1 1.2 0.4
#Accidents (unintentional injuries) (V01-X59,Y85-Y86)  1999-20 Ratio 1 1.7 1.2
#Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)  1999-20 Ratio 1 1.1 0.0
#Cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69)  1999-20 Ratio 1 3.1 0.0
#Diabetes mellitus (E10-E14)  1999-20 Ratio 1 0.0 0.0
#Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis (N00-N07,N17-N19,N25-N27)  1999-20 Ratio 1 0.0 0.0
#Alzheimer disease (G30)  1999-20 Ratio 1 1.4 0.0
#Influenza and pneumonia (J09-J18)  1999-20 Ratio 1 2.8 0.0
#Septicemia (A40-A41)  1999-20 Ratio 1 3.8 0.0
#Intentional self-harm (suicide) (*U03,X60-X84,Y87.0)  1999-20 Ratio 1 2.0 0.0
#Essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease (I10,I12,I15)  1999-20 Ratio 1 3.0 0.0
#Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (K70,K73-K74)  1999-20 Ratio 1 0.0 0.0
#Aoritica aneurysm and dissection (I71)  1999-20 Ratio 1 0.0 0.0
#Parkinson disease (G20-G21)  1999-20 Ratio 1 0.0 0.0
 

Observations

  • African Americans have much higher ratios of mortality for most of the top 16 causes of death in Owen County.
  • Of particular note is the ratio of deaths from Septicemia among the African American population whereby 3.8 African American’s die for each White from the same cause.
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