Kaitlyn Christensen- Chronic Disease in Nevada County

For this assignment, I chose to research public health trends in my hometown community in terms of chronic disease prevalence. I was able to contact a woman named Jen, a chronic disease specialist at the Nevada County Health Department and was also directed to a helpful online Nevada County Health statistical report for further information.

1. The first chronic disease trending in Nevada County is cancer, the second most common cause of death in the county. The top three most prevalent types of cancer are breast, prostate, and lung, with lung cancer resulting in the highest incident of death. All three types reveal age-adjusted incidence rates that are higher than the respective rates for California residence overall. Although this is the case, the cancer prevalence in Nevada County has dropped slightly in the past decade. The age-adjusted cancer death rate in the county is currently lower than the Healthy People 2010 objective.

2. Another chronic disease of concern in Nevada County is cardiovascular disease. This cardiovascular disease is manifested in the county as a mix of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, as well as heart attack. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the county, which is consistent with the national mortality trends. Nevertheless, Nevada County’s age-adjusted coronary heart disease death rate is well below the Healthy People 2010 objective of less than 162 related deaths per 100,000 persons. The current death rate is, however, above the 2020 objective, a concern that county public health officials are working on addressing.

3. A third chronic disease of concern in Nevada County is cerebrovascular disease, which includes both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Consistent with the national trends, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the county. The age-adjusted death rate for stroke is slightly higher than the statewide rates but still below the Healthy People 2010 objective. One concern mentioned was the result in permanent brain damage and death and the difficult situation this incidence places individuals and families in. On the brighter side, however, both county and statewide incidences of stroke have been decreasing since 2004.

4. Diabetes is also a major concern among Nevada County public health chronic disease specialists. About 3% of Nevada County adults report being diagnosed with diabetes at some point in their lives, 88% of which report having type 2 diabetes. This diabetes incidence rate is less than half that of the statewide rate of 8%, yet is still of concern due to the many life-altering complications of the disease. The age-adjusted death rate for diabetes is currently much lower than the statewide rate as well as the Healthy People 2010 objective. It should be noted, however, that due to small sample size, the death rate is said to be unreliable.

5. Lastly, asthma is also a chronic disease of major concern in Nevada County. Asthma prevalence in the county is lower than that of the state as a whole and is the most prevalent chronic disease among children. Although this is true, asthma is a chronic disease that affects all ages. The current prevalence of those who report having been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lifetime is at 11%, compared to 14% in 2007. This reveals an obvious decrease in prevalence and is supported by data of decreasing asthma-related hospitalization rates as well.