Comparison and Contrast of Health Trends in Three Counties
The following paper reviews health trends and health inequalities within Texas. Texas’s Brazoria, Travis, and Harris counties are the three I have chosen to compare. These three counties, in particular, were picked because of their proximity and the fact that I live in Harris County. The following table compares the health trends for the three counties.
The health trends of Harris County, Brazoria County, and Travis County are similar in many aspects. Harris County and Brazoria County have identical lengths of life, with Harris County having a slightly higher score. Both counties have similar scores regarding Quality of Life and Health Behaviors such as adult obesity and physical inactivity.
Clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment are the most significant disparities. Brazoria and Harris Counties have significantly higher uninsured rates, at 24% and 16%, respectively, than Travis County, which only has 16% (“Compare counties,” 2022). Harris County has a significantly lower rate of flu vaccinations and fewer mental health providers than Brazoria and Travis counties.
Regarding social and economic factors, Harris County has a higher rate of unemployment, children in poverty, and higher income inequality than Brazoria and Travis counties. Lastly, regarding the Physical Environment, Harris County has a worse air pollution score and a higher rate of severe housing problems than both Brazoria and Travis counties.
Top 3 Inequities and Negative Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
The three top inequities in Harris County are the high rates of adult obesity, the high rate of uninsured, and the high rate of air pollution. The underlying reasons for these negative social determinants of health (SDOH) are poverty, lack of access to healthcare, and a lack of resources for healthy behaviors and activities.
According to Hweidi et al. (2021), poverty leads to a lack of access to healthy food and other resources needed for healthy lifestyles, leading to a high rate of adult obesity. It also leads to a high uninsured rate, as lower-income residents may need help to afford health insurance. Finally, poverty leads to a lack of resources to reduce air pollution, leading to higher air pollution rates.
Root Cause Analysis of Top 3 Inequities
The root cause analysis of these three inequities is poverty. It is the fundamental reason behind Harris County’s high rates of air pollution, adult obesity, and uninsured people. Additionally, poverty is pervasive in many other aspects of health, such as access to healthcare, mental health services, and housing (Mason et al., 2021). Education is also a contributing factor, as those with lower levels of education are more likely to be unemployed or face other economic challenges. Location of residence contributes to the poor quality of the living environment, as those who live in isolated areas or lack access to essential services and amenities are more likely to face worse living conditions.
Reflection on the Health Trends in Three Counties
Populations Affected by Inequities and Supporting Data
The specific populations affected by the health inequities in the three counties vary. People from ethnic backgrounds, those from socioeconomically challenged areas, and those with lower levels of education and income are the specific demographics most impacted by disparities in Harris County. This is supported by statistics from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, showing that Harris County has more excellent rates of adult obesity, physical inactivity, excessive drinking, and uninsured people than Brazoria or Travis County.
Black and Hispanic people in Harris County are the most affected populations, with 24.6% and 44.2%, respectively (“Compare counties,” 2022). They also have the highest rate of people without health insurance, at 24%. According to “Compare Counties” (2022) statistics, Harris County has a higher proportion of Hispanic individuals, at 43.8%. Admittedly, the differences in backgrounds, income, or education levels contribute significantly to the counties’ health inequities.
Commonalities and Differences Among the Three Counties
The main commonality among the three counties is that they are all located within the same state and, as a result, will have equal healthcare access and delivery policies. They have comparable life expectancies, with Harris and Brazoria having 79.2 and 79.0 years, respectively, and Travis having 81.4 years (“Compare counties,” 2022). However, the data revealed that there are noticeable disparities when it comes to health outcomes. The differences in health outcomes between the three counties can largely be attributed to social and economic factors such as poverty, healthcare access, and healthy foods.
One of the main causes of health differences between countries is poverty. The worst health outcomes were observed in Harris County, which had the highest poverty rate. Harris County had a poverty rate of 23%, while Brazoria and Travis counties had rates of 10% and 11%, respectively (“Compare counties,” 2022). According to Coughlin (2019), poverty is linked to a lack of access to healthcare, preventive services, and healthy meals, which results in poor health outcomes.
Health disparities are also significantly impacted by access to healthcare and preventive services. At 24%, Brazoria had the most significant percentage of uninsured residents, followed by Harris (16%) and Travis (12%). This lack of access to healthcare increases the risk of poor health outcomes due to a lack of timely medical attention and preventive care.
Access to healthy foods is another factor that contributes to health disparities (Drisdelle et al., 2020). Unlike Travis and Brazoria counties, Harris County has no grocery stores offering healthy and affordable food options, making it difficult for people to access fresh, nutritious foods. This, in turn, increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems.
Impact of County-Specific Policies on Health Outcomes
The impact of country-specific policies on health outcomes can be seen in the health trends data. For instance, Brazoria County has a higher rate of physical inactivity, which may be caused by a lack of investment in infrastructure and public transit. It is also related to the requirement for increased funding for public health projects and efforts that promote physical exercise. Harris County has the most significant percentage of residents without health insurance, possibly due to a lack of funding to ensure equitable access to medical treatment (McMaughan et al., 2020). Investing in public health activities and campaigns to promote immunization is also why Travis County has the highest percentage of flu vaccinations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, comparing and contrasting the health trends in Texas showed that Harris County had significantly higher rates of health-related inequities, such as adult obesity, physical inactivity, uninsured rates, and mental health provider ratios. The root causes of these inequities include a lack of access to healthcare services, a lack of health education, and a lack of resources. The county government could create policies focusing on health promotion and prevention and provide incentives for healthy behaviors and access to resources to address the inequities.
References
Compare counties. (2022). County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Web.
Coughlin, S. S. (2019). Social determinants of breast cancer risk, stage, and survival. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 177, 537-548. Web.
Drisdelle, C., Kestens, Y., Hamelin, A. M., & Mercille, G. (2020). Disparities in access to healthy diets: How food security and shopping behaviors relate to fruit and vegetable intake. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120(11), 1847-1858. Web.
Hweidi, I. M., Carpenter, C. L., Al‐Obeisat, S. M., Alhawatmeh, H. N., Nazzal, M. S., & Jarrah, M. I. (2021). Nutritional status and its determinants among community‐dwelling older adults in Jordan. In P. S. Yoder-Wise (Ed.), Nursing Forum (Vol. 56, No. 3, pp. 529-538). Web.
Mason, D. J., Dickson, E. L., McLemore, M. R., & Perez, G. A. (Eds.). (2021). Policy & politics in nursing and health care (Eighth edition). Elsevier.
McMaughan, D. J., Oloruntoba, O., & Smith, M. L. (2020). Socioeconomic status and access to healthcare: interrelated drivers for healthy aging. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 231. Web.