| |
 Whatcom
County
A Classic Community Nutrition
Assessment Experience
Summary of Demographic Information
| Vital Statistics/VISTA Data | | Statistical
Profile | | Mortality Rates | | Birth
Risk Factors | | Food Safety |
Vital Statistics/VISTA data
Gathering data to prepare a statistical profile of the community is a valuable
first step in community nutrition assessment. Data on nutrition related
morbidity and mortality are available through the US
Census, vital statistics, communicable disease and hospital discharge
records. In Whatcom county this data was accessed using the VISTA
program.
Statistical Profile
Whatcom County had a total population of 154,600 people in 1997. A brief
statistical profile of the county found the following information:
Racial composition of Population in 1997
| White |
144,720 |
| Black |
924 |
| Native American |
4,623 |
| Asian |
4,333 |
Age Distribution
| Under 1 year of age |
1,974 |
| Age 1-14 |
30,989 |
| Age 15-24 |
24,789 |
| Age 25-44 |
46,781 |
| Age 45-64 |
31,105 |
Indicators of Possible Increased Nutritional Risk
| % below Poverty |
12.30 |
| % without High School Diploma |
16.89 |
| % Single Parent Family |
20.69 |
| % Unemployed Civilians |
4.81 |
Mortality Rates
Age adjusted mortality rates for heart disease, cerebrovascular disease,
and all types of cancer for Whatcom county were similar to those for the
State of Washington as a whole and did not indicate any special risk for
these nutrition related conditions in the population. Age adjusted rates
for mortality from hear disease were 91.1/100,00. This is below the Healthy
People 2000 goal.
Birth Risk Factors
Rates of nutrition related risk factors for poor outcomes of pregnancy
in women who live in Whatcom County were compared with those of the state
as a whole.
| Risk Factor |
Washington State Rate per 100
|
Whatcom County Rate per 100
|
| Low birth weight |
5.50
|
5.14
|
| Very low birth weight |
0.85
|
0.97
|
| Mother’s age < 18 |
4.27
|
4.22
|
| Unmarried mother |
26.65
|
23.58
|
| Late or no prenatal care |
17.35
|
25.59q
|
| Inadequate pre-natal care |
11.19
|
12.01
|
| Weight gain < 25 pounds |
24.29
|
20.15
|
| Maternal smoking |
16.08
|
13.23
|
| Maternal alcohol use |
1.67
|
1.22
|
| Mother has anemia |
2.75
|
7.11
|
Food Safety
Reported age adjusted incidence of food related illnesses were examined.
| Disease |
Washington State Rate per 100,000
|
Whatcom County Rate per 100,000
|
| Campylobacteriosis |
19.5
|
29.9
|
| E Coli 0157:H7 |
2.6
|
6.7
|
| Salmonellosis |
13.0
|
17.4
|
| Shigellosis |
8.3
|
4.9
|
|
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BRFSS
Results