COM 0521.006 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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P5A4 pareed 7 national health indicators but did not do too well on diabetes prevention and immunizations for pneumonia. Hawaii County has high prevalence of diabetes and hyperten6ion and highest number of deaths ae60- ciated with 6troke and coronary heart diceases. Profile of Counly of Hawaii's Older Population Health Status of PSA4's 60 plus According to Toward a Healthy Hawaii 2010, the County of Hawaii passed national goals on seven health indicators including coronary heart disease, lung cancer deaths, women who got mammograms, avoidable hospitalizations for pediatric asthma and hepatitis, measles and food borne disease called listeria monocytogenes. On the not - so -bright side, the same report noted that Hawaii County's rate of diabetes was more than twice as high as the Healthy People 2010 goal and the rates of those who missed immunizations for pneumonia were four times the Healthy People 2010 goal. Rates in diabetes and pneumonia are often associated with aging individuals. While educational background is often associated with health status, other factors of equal importance are presence or absence of chronic conditions, disability, lifestyle, nutrition, alcohol and tobacco use, physical activities, support system and ability to access care. In general, while older Americans will expect to live longer, their greater challenge will rest primarily on proactive measures to prevent and control the debilitating effects of chronic diseases with the expectation to increase the likelihood for healthier, more productive and more enjoyable later years. Similar to findings published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their series on Trends in Health and Aging, the leading causes of death among the elderly are chronic diseases particularly cardiovascular diseases and cancer followed by stroke (cerebrovascular disease). Compared to the other PSAs, Hawaii County has the highest prevalence of diabetes among adults and also highest in the number of deaths associated with stroke and coronary heart disease. The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion reported that 1999 Hawaii rates of death from heart disease were 76% higher among men than among women. The center also noted that rates of death from stroke and diabetes were higher among Asians/Pacific Islanders than among whites. The Department of Health's Hawaii Health Survey released on June 2002 showed that Hawaiians and Filipinos had higher prevalence of diabetes than other ethnic groups. The Chinese and Japanese ethnic groups on the other hand had higher prevalence of high blood cholesterol. Recent reports from Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System by the Planning and Evaluation Section, Community Health Division of the State of Hawaii's Department of Health showed that the mean number of unhealthy days in 2000 was highest among older adults in Hawaii and Kauai counties especially among Hawaiians, Whites and Page - 8 - of 77