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Cuyahoga County Health Needs Assessment Results Released

Cuyahoga County hospitals and community service organizations now have access to a wealth of current information about their county’s health needs. On Tuesday, April 30, nearly 100 people gathered at an event open to the public to learn about the findings uncovered through the Cuyahoga County health needs assessment. 

Cuyahoga County residents were randomly selected to participate in a mail survey and provided data on a wide range of topics, which were compared to state and national statistics in areas such as health perceptions, healthcare access, cardiovascular health, tobacco use, mental health and oral health. Though dozens of data points were discussed in detail at the event, there were a few findings in particular that caught the attention of the audience. 

• In Cuyahoga County, 67 percent of adults are overweight or obese, compared to 66 percent in Ohio and 64 percent in the U.S. 
• Among the 24 percent of residents who were limited in some way due to physical, mental or emotional problems, 38 percent reported back or neck problems; 34% reported stress, depression or anxiety and 31 percent reported arthritis as the cause. 
• More than half (56 percent) of Cuyahoga County residents had received a flu vaccine in the past 12 months, increasing to 74 percent for those ages 65 and over. 

The Cuyahoga County health needs assessment — as well as those already completed in Ashtabula, Geauga, Lorain and Medina Counties — was 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 community needs assessment project contact Deanna Moore at 216.255.3614 or deanna.moore@chanet.org.