UNDER CONSTRUCTION
VERNON COUNTY COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT SUMMARY
Demographic/Education/Socioeconomic Indicators
Understanding a population’s age distribution, race and ethnic composition, and incomecharacteristics is essential to identifying health needs and planning health programs. Demographic and socioeconomic indicators reflect important population chaacteristics.
Age Analysis:
The largest age group in Vernon County is the 35 to 54 year olds who make up 26.2% of the population. Children under age 18 make up 25.3% of the total population. Age distribution has not changed significantly in many years, and is similar to the age distribution for Missouri.
Race/Ethnicity Analysis:
Vernon County has a lower minority population than the State of Missouri. In 2006, 96.9% of Vernon County residents were white, compared to 85.1% for the state.
Other Demographic Features:
The rate of limited English proficient students is much lower for Vernon County than for the state of Missouri.
Economic Indicators:
The 2005 median household income in Vernon County was about 75% of the state median income.
The per capita personal income for Vernon County is about 76% of the state amount according to the 2000 census.
In 2006, participation in the free and reduced lunch program in Vernon County was 52.2%, while the state rate is 40.7%.
In 2004, 16.5% of the Vernon County population was below the poverty level, compared to 13% for Missouri.
Nevada, MO has a cost of living index that is nearly 15% below the national average, and is about 5% lower than the Missouri index rate.
Environmental Health Risk Indicators
Conditions in the environment may pose health risks to members of a community. Industry, hazardous waste sites, failing sewage disposal or treatment systems, and indoor air quality are potentially environmental health threats.
Analysis of indicators related to housing:
In Vernon County, 31.7% of the houses were built before 1950, which is higher than the state rate of 23.6%.
There are currently no lead abatement projects in Vernon County.
Lead testing rates for Vernon County (19.7) are significantly higher than the state rate (16.6), but blood lead elevations are slightly lower than the state rate.
Analysis of indicators related to water supply:
There were four hazardous materials incidents in Vernon County in 2004, one of which was related to methamphetamines.
Public Safety/Domestic Violence
This section examines indicators of risks to the safety of residents and visitors to the county.
Analysis of indicators of public safety:
The age-adjusted rate for homicide and legal intervention deaths in Vernon County is significantly lower than the state rate for Missouri.
Police reported 43 violent crimes in 2005, down from 102 in 2004.
Vernon County had 290 juvenile court referrals for law violation offenses in 2005, down from 385 in 2003.
Analysis of indicators related to abuse or neglect of vulnerable populations:
Unintended Injury
Analysis of indicators related to injury:
Analysis of indicators related to traffic safety:
In 2005, 86% of persons in motor vehicle crashes in Vernon County were wearing seatbelts, while 85% of all Missourians were wearing seatbelts.
Analysis of injuries at work:
Maternal and Child Health Indicators
The purpose of the maternal and child health indicators is to provide an overview of the key components of maternal, infant, and child health and the risk factors that contribute to ill health and poor outcomes. In addition to the infant mortality rate, these indicatorsinclude important measures of inceased risk of death and disability, such as incidence of low birth weight and receipt of prenatal care. Early childhood mortality and child abuse/neglect indicators should be considered in analysis of this section.
Analysis of maternal and child health indicators
Analyze indicators related to prenatal risks:
Analyze indicators of child well being:
Prevalence of Infectious Disease
This section provides an overview of communicable diseases.
Analysis of communicable disease rates:
Analysis of vaccine preventable disease:
Prevalence of Chronic Disease Risk Factors
The chronic disease indicators illustrate the prevalence of risk factors controllable by individuals that can play an important role in the prevention and management of disease
Leading Causes of Mortality
Analysis of leading causes of mortality:
Health Care System Indicators
Indicators in this section attempt to quantify the availability and use of basic health services and barriers to health care access.
Analysis of the Community’s Health Care System:
Community Health Resource Indicators
This section analyzes resources available in the community to address problems and needs identified in previous sections. Health resources can be prevention programs, health education, treatment programs, services for screening and early diagnosis, support groups for behavior modification, nutrition programs, suppot for smoking cessation, etc. r
Analysis of health resources that are available to address leading causes of mortality, especially premature deaths, and risk factors that contribute to leading health problems in the community: