2016-2020 Leading Causes of Death and Inequities (rate per 100,000)

Source: 2022 County Health Data Book, North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics

From 2016 through 2020:

• Chronic diseases, like heart disease and cancer, remain the leading causes of mortality for Catawba County. 
• There are significant inequities related to recent local mortality data:
  • The mortality rate related to heart disease among Latino residents was more than double that of both White and Black residents. Black residents also experience a higher mortality rate related to heart disease than White residents. 
  • The mortality rates related to diabetes and kidney disease among Black residents were more than double that of White residents.
  • The mortality rates related to non-motor vehicle unintentional injuries and chronic lower respiratory disease were higher among White residents than Black residents.
  • The mortality rate related to cancer was highest among Black residents, with both Black and White residents having a cancer mortality rate 2.5x higher than Latino residents.

We will be working with community members to understand better the root causes of these inequities in the 2023 Community Health Assessment process.

County Health Rankings and Roadmaps Updates:

• Catawba County ranks 30th overall
• According to 2019 data used for the most recent rankings:
  • 13% of adult residents reported poor physical health for 14 or more days in the past month
  • 15% of adult residents reported poor mental health for 14 or more days in the past month
  • Adult diabetes prevalence is estimated at 11%
  • Adult smoking prevalence is estimated at 20% 

Food Insecurity:

Food insecurity has been a growing priority of our CHA/CHIP cycle, but this year we were able to disaggregate data to better understand inequities related to food insecurity in our county. As noted in our updated indicators, there is a significant inequity in food security between White residents and Black and Latino residents. As we enter our next community health assessment process, this clearer understanding of inequities in food access will better inform more specific and equity-oriented strategies. 

Drivers of Health:

While they've always impacted health and well-being, there's growing recognition across the community and among partners related to how drivers of health are impacting outcomes, specifically housing and transportation. We are currently reviewing results from the 2020 Census and 2021 American Community Survey to identify potential indicators to inform a shared understanding of these issues as we move into our next community health assessment. For example:

• 35.1% of renters in Catawba County are spending 30% or more of their gross monthly income on housing costs
• Approximately 4.6% of households have less vehicles available than workers over the age of sixteen in their home

    Source: American Communities Survey, 2021

The following are new initiatives:

• A Community Food System assessment through NC Division of Public Health's Advancing Equity support
• A new Community Health Worker (CHW) initiative, coupled with a refreshed emphasis on utilizing NCCARE 360
• The launch of our 2023 Community Health Assessment
• Messaging to providers regarding whole-person care and brain health
• A community workshop on brain health and reducing stigma

The following initiatives experienced changes or are paused:

• We renamed our Behavioral Health workgroup and priority area to Brain Health based on workgroup and community feedback and updated equity-oriented language emerging in the field

The following are discontinued initiatives in 2022:

• Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas Duke Endowment Grant came to an end December 31, 2022
• Food Pantry Nutrition Education
• Implementing training and education plans related to brain health as outlined in the CHIP