MAHEC - Community Health Assessment Database (CHAD)

Health Data Website Guide:

North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics Home Page

Description:

The State Center is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating timely, comprehensive, and accurate health statistics. Site contains NC vital statistics and a wide variety of health statistics, usually available at the county level. Contains County Data Books; as well as BRFSS for state, WNC region, and Buncombe County. Statistics are available for the past 3-5 years, usually lagging two years behind current year (i.e., in 2002 the latest data you are likely to access is 2000 data). Most data are collected by the state; some by the federal government. Center section of home page is "Recent Additions," updated fairly frequently.

Comments:

The best place to start when looking for NC state health statistics and/or county health statistics. Besides County Data Book, the most efficient way to access county-level data.

Directions for reaching the following data:

On Homepage, click on "Publications;" then in "Publications" click on "By topic." In "Publications-by Topic" click on "County Data." ( NOTE: Other topics on this page do not lead to unique data.)

Community Assessment Guidebook: Contents: Walks user through steps involved in doing a community assessment. Notes: Used by counties to guide their needs assessments.

Study report: Childhood Asthma in NC: Contents: # and % Medicaid enrollees with asthma claims, average cost per claim, map showing counties with highest % claims, asthma hospital rates by county. Demographic breakdown/ population: Children 0-14 who are Medicaid enrollees. Political unit(s): State and each county. 1999 report. Notes: Readable article; text in addition to tables and maps.

Study report: Health Costs in NC-County Government Expenditures for Health: Contents: Shows costs increased between 1990 and 1995. Political unit(s): Does not give data for individual counties. Notes: Published in 1997, contains data for 1990 and 1995. Could be helpful in showing increasing burden on counties.

Directions for reaching the following data: On Homepage, click on "Statistics."

One-year cancer incidence rates: Demographic breakdown/ population: By race, sex, and race by sex. Political unit(s): 1999: NC only.

Five-year cancer incidence rates for 4 types of cancer and all: Demographic breakdown/ population: All residents. Political unit(s): 1995-9: County.

One-year cancer mortality rates: Demographic breakdown/ population: By race, sex, and race by sex. Political unit(s): 1999, 2000, 2001: NC only. Notes: Age-adjusted to the 2000 Census.

Five-year cancer incidence rates for 4 types of cancer and all cancer: Demographic breakdown/ population: All residents. Political unit(s): 1997-2001, 1996-2000, 1995-1999: County.

Cancer profiles: Political unit(s): County. Notes: Fact sheet on cancer for each county by NC Central Cancer Registry.

Cancer projections: Incidence and deaths: Demographic breakdown/ population: All residents. Political unit(s): County.

Publications: NC vital statistics, Volume 1: population, detailed births, fetal and infant mortality, deaths, marriages, divorces. Demographic breakdown/ population: By race, by race within gender, by age, by age within gender, and all residents. Political unit(s): You choose: NC, County, City, or Perinatal Care Region (N=5) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001. Notes: Includes rates as well as numbers.

Publications: NC vital statistics, Volume 2: lists of leading causes of death. Demographic breakdown/ population: For each age group, race (White, African-American, Native American), sex, whether Hispanic, all residents. Political unit(s): NC. Notes: 2001 has age-adjusted rates for all residents. 2000 has rate (not adjusted) for all residents. Both have # deaths for sub-groups. Older data has varied format.

Publications: NC vital statistics, Volume 2: each leading cause of death separately. Demographic breakdown/ population: All residents. Political unit(s): 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001: County. Notes: Single year and multi-year death rates. Multi is age-adjusted.

Publications: "Babybook": Contents: Detailed birth information: age of mother, birth order of baby, marital status of mother, mother's race (white vs. minority), birth weight, mother's education, month prenatal care began, number prenatal visits, mother's medical history, maternal smoking, maternal weight gain, obstetrical procedures, birth complications, delivery type, condition of newborn. Demographic breakdown/ population: All births within a calendar year. Political unit(s): 1998, 1999, 2000 County. Notes: Much more detailed information than in the County Data Book.

Publications: Detailed Mortality Statistics: Contents: All causes of death. Demographic breakdown/ population: Number of deaths, total and within each (small) age group, by race and sex. Political unit(s): 2000, 2001 County. Notes: ICD 10 codes; PDF format.

Publications: North Carolina Reported Pregnancies: Contents: Detailed pregnancy, abortions, birth, infant mortality data. Demographic breakdown/ population: By age, race, mother's age, etc. Political unit(s): 2001. Notes: Depending on time of year, may be more recent data than county data book or "Babybook."

Publications: Pocket Guides/ State Level: Contents: Demographic, social and economic; work, farm, home school; social, welfare and health; pregnancy outcomes; morbidity & mortality; and health care resources data. Demographic breakdown/ population: All residents. Political unit(s): Every 2 years, 1995-2001 compares NC with US and ranks NC vs. other states. Notes: Lots of disparate data summarized at state level.

Publications: Pocket Guides/ County Level: Contents: Demographic, economic and health resources data; pregnancy, mortality and morbidity statistics. Demographic breakdown/ population: All residents. Political unit(s): Every 2 yrs, 1995-2001. All 100 NC counties shown. Notes: Might be useful in comparing your county to others on these indicators.

Surveys: Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS): Contents: National, CDC-designed random telephone survey of adults 18+ in houses with telephones. Questions about access to care, overall health, and a variety of health behaviors and preventive health practices related to the leading causes of death and disability. Demographic breakdown/ population: All residents with telephones. Political unit(s): 2001: NC, WNC and some NC counties including Buncombe. 2000: NC only (no individual counties). Notes: Vital information on behavioral factors related to health.

Surveys: Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS): Contents: Information on pregnancy risk factors, access to health care services, and other issues related to improving the mother's and baby's health. Questions about behaviors and attitudes before, during, and after pregnancy on several topics. Demographic breakdown/ population: 2400 NC residents who have given birth in NC surveyed per year, with 75% response rate. Results weighted to make data representative of total giving birth that year. Political unit(s): Data from July 1997-December 1999 condensed into single report. Reports from single years also available. NC only. Notes: Useful for looking at risk for poor birth outcome.

Vital Statistics: Vital Facts: Births, marriages, divorces, deaths, "typical day." Demographic breakdown/ population: All residents. Political unit(s): 1996-2000, NC only. Notes: Factoids, some interesting.

Vital Statistics: Risk Factors and Characteristics for NC Resident Live Births: Contents: Summary of state statistics, including birthwieght, mother's age, mother's education, out-of-wedlock, parity, trimester care began, mother smoked, delivery method, level of care for infants 500-1,499 grams. Demographic breakdown/ population: All residents who gave birth in NC hospital: total, white, and non-white. Political unit(s): 1996-1999, NC only. Notes: Summary of some of the information from PRAMS, other.

Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Statistics: Contents: Detailed statistics on NC infant mortality: infant, neonatal, and postneonatal. Includes causes. Demographic breakdown/ population: All residents, by race (white and other). Political unit(s): NC and County. Reports from 1996-2001, with data going back to 1992 (in 1996 report).

Vital Statistics: Child Death Statistics: Contents: Causes of death by county; summary sheet for NC, with trends. Demographic breakdown/ population: Total and by age group. Political unit(s): NC & County: 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001.

Health Atlas: Contents: Contains maps of North Carolina that depict county level health and health-related information. The primary purpose of the Atlas is to provide a way to interpret visually a broad range of data and information about the health of North Carolinians. Demographic breakdown/ population: All residents. Political unit(s): Counties are mapped within state outline. Years vary, depending on what is mapped. Notes: Helpful for seeing differences between your county and others in NC.

Directions for reaching the following data:

On Homepage click on "Publications;" then in "Publications" click on "By topic," then in "Publications-By topic" click on "Glossary."

Glossary of health data terms: Contents: Contains a detailed, user-friendly listing of definitions of health terms used in health statistics. Notes: Excellent, comprehensive glossary. Focuses on terms as used in NC. Gives clickable references for additional information.