BACKGROUND: DeKalb County Board of Health (DCBOH) has produced a series of Status of Health Reports based on five year intervals of data. The purpose of the Status of Health report is twofold; to give a comprehensive picture of the health of the residents of DeKalb County and to encourage individuals and communities to work towards living healthier and safer lives.
METHODS: DeKalb County was divided into 13 Community Health Assessment Areas (CHAAs) using 1995-1996 high school districts as a guide with boundaries that conform to census tracts. Although these school districts have changed, the original CHAAs have been maintained to provide consistency in reporting and to compare the status of health for DeKalb County residents over time. The CHAA maps are choropleth maps created using ESRI ArcGIS software. The classification scheme for each map is based on the Jenks’ Natural Breaks algorithm, which defines classes by using natural separations inherent in the data. This creates groupings with similar values and maximizes the differences between the classes.
RESULTS: A total of six maps were evaluated for changes in morbidity or mortality in DeKalb County. These CHAA maps elucidate areas of the county that need additional efforts and help validate the success of DCBOH programs. For example, the differences in diabetes maps from the two different time periods illuminate the need for continuing efforts. DCBOH has therefore applied for and received a grant which will provide additional intervention efforts focused on diabetes prevention. In contrast, the infant mortality maps confirm the success of one of DCBOH’s programs. While DeKalb County saw an overall decrease of infant mortality of 30 percent, the McNair/Cedar Grove area had a 43 percent decrease. This CHAA is a focus area for the DCBOH program, Mothers Offering Resources and Education (MORE). While the overall decrease of infant mortality is tremendous, this program’s success of a 43 percent decrease is outstanding. This illustrates how the maps of the local area data analysis provide useful information for DCBOH’s programs that would not be available otherwise.
CONCLUSIONS: Due to the diverse population and size of DeKalb County, intervention efforts are more effective if they can focus on certain areas of the county. Evaluating the differences from the two latest reports helps to identify areas that may need further intervention efforts and to celebrate areas showing improvement in health behaviors.