Home > Media Center > News > > > Lorain County Releases Results of Community Needs Assessment

News Releases

Back to all News Releases

August 20, 2012 (Cleveland)

Lorain County Releases Results of Community Needs Assessment

Lorain County hospitals and community organizations now have access to a wealth of current information about their county’s health needs. On Aug. 1, Lorain County held a public event at the Lorain County Community College to release the findings of its community needs assessment, which included data from an adult survey of urban, suburban and rural adults and a youth survey. Representatives from dozens of community groups gathered to hear highlights from the report, which examined a wide range of health indicators and compared them to state and national statistics in areas such as health perceptions, cardiovascular health, adult and youth tobacco use, and adult and youth sexual behavior.

Though dozens of data points were discussed in detail at the event, there were a few particular findings that captured the attention of the audience.

 

• Eleven percent of Lorain County residents do not have healthcare coverage. Those most likely to be uninsured are those under age 30 and those with an income level under $25,000.
• Sixty-seven percent of Lorain County adults are overweight or obese and 14 percent of the County’s youth is obese.
• Fifty-four percent of male youth and 42 percent of female youth had engaged in binge drinking in the past month.
• Eleven percent of Lorain County youth seriously considered suicide in the past year, compared to 14 percent in Ohio and 16 percent of U.S. youth.

The Lorain County community needs assessment, as well as those currently underway or just completed in Medina, Cuyahoga, Ashtabula and Geauga Counties were initiated by The Center for Health Affairs as part of an effort to conduct overlapping needs assessments that would serve to meet requirements of the Affordable Care Act while also providing county-by-county and regional overviews of health needs. The Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio was engaged by The Center to conduct the work in conjunction with stakeholder groups from each county to complete these assessments.

For additional information on The Center’s health needs assessment project contact Deanna Moore at 216.255.3614 or deanna.moore@chanet.org.