Survey finds healthy population here
However, many Medina County residents report feeling depressed
Leaders from various social service agencies discuss the results of a new needs assessment for Medina County. Involved in the discussion are (from left) Lisa Vana, Debbie Kubena-Yatsko, Melanie Kasten-Krause, Michelle Kipfstuhl and Jane Barnett. Photo by GLENN WOJCIAK
MEDINA – A new survey on health and community needs in Medina County found residents here are healthier than average, but not immune from problems that affect their overall wellbeing.
For instance, 59 percent of adults in Medina County rate their own health as excellent or very good. About 52 percent of all Ohioans and Americans rate their health that well in similar surveys.
However, the mental health of county residents is not better than average. County residents taking the survey reported they had 4.5 days in the past month in which they rated their mental health as “not good.” Those bad mental health days prevented them from doing their usual activities for two days in the past month.
All Ohioans reported an average of four bad mental health days in the past month and all Americans reported 3.7.
The survey also indicated that Medina County residents like to drink alcohol – a lot. Seventy-one percent of county residents drank alcohol in the month preceding the survey. Only 53 percent of people around Ohio and the nation reported drinking in the month before they took the survey.
Researcher Britney Ward quipped the apparent high rate of drinking in Medina County could be a contributing reason for the overall good health of county residents, though it was also suggested the high rate of alcohol consumption also has some more sinister implications.
Living Well Medina County, a coalition of healthcare, government, education, business, non-profit and faith communities, again worked with Ward and the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio to conduct a series of community surveys asking adults, youth, and parents about their health, social service and community needs.
A similar process was conducted in 2012, which resulted in several reports about the health and wellness of Medina County, and initiated conversation about services and programs offered in the county.
Kristen Hildreth, director of health promotion at the Medina County Health Department, helped organize the effort to do the 2017 survey. She said the 70 people from various social service agencies who gathered to hear the survey results will meet again in November to devise programs that can address some of the issues uncovered in the survey.
Mental health is just one of two dozen health factors studied in the new report. Others include incidence of disease; tobacco, drug and alcohol use; sexual behavior; insurance coverage and environmental safety factors.
The results were obtained by independent researchers from the Toledo-based Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio and their partners at the University of Toledo. Those researchers administered surveys to a cross-sectional, randomized sample of Medina County residents.
Ward said the survey found that Medina County was generally a healthy place to live with lower than average risk factors in many health measures. For instance, the survey found only 14 percent of adults here smoke compared to 22 percent of all Ohioans.
The complete Medina County Community Needs Assessment can be found on the web site of the Medina County Health Department.
Weight control
Sixty-eight percent of adults in Medina County are considered overweight. About 26 percent of youths here are considered overweight but 65 percent tried to lose weight.
Drug use
Four percent of Medina County adults had used marijuana during the past six months and 6 percent misused medications. Four percent of Medina County adults is a little over 4,000 people.
About 12 percent of youth (2,000) used marijuana at least once in the past 30 days and 14 percent of those in the ninth grade or above used marijuana. About 13 percent used medications not prescribed for them, 4 percent used cocaine and 2 percent, heroin.
Youth alcohol consumption
Almost one fourth (22 percent) of all county youth had at least one drink in the past 30 days. About 44 percent of all youth have tried alcohol at least once.
For instance, 59 percent of adults in Medina County rate their own health as excellent or very good. About 52 percent of all Ohioans and Americans rate their health that well in similar surveys.
However, the mental health of county residents is not better than average. County residents taking the survey reported they had 4.5 days in the past month in which they rated their mental health as “not good.” Those bad mental health days prevented them from doing their usual activities for two days in the past month.
All Ohioans reported an average of four bad mental health days in the past month and all Americans reported 3.7.
The survey also indicated that Medina County residents like to drink alcohol – a lot. Seventy-one percent of county residents drank alcohol in the month preceding the survey. Only 53 percent of people around Ohio and the nation reported drinking in the month before they took the survey.
Researcher Britney Ward quipped the apparent high rate of drinking in Medina County could be a contributing reason for the overall good health of county residents, though it was also suggested the high rate of alcohol consumption also has some more sinister implications.
Living Well Medina County, a coalition of healthcare, government, education, business, non-profit and faith communities, again worked with Ward and the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio to conduct a series of community surveys asking adults, youth, and parents about their health, social service and community needs.
A similar process was conducted in 2012, which resulted in several reports about the health and wellness of Medina County, and initiated conversation about services and programs offered in the county.
Kristen Hildreth, director of health promotion at the Medina County Health Department, helped organize the effort to do the 2017 survey. She said the 70 people from various social service agencies who gathered to hear the survey results will meet again in November to devise programs that can address some of the issues uncovered in the survey.
Mental health is just one of two dozen health factors studied in the new report. Others include incidence of disease; tobacco, drug and alcohol use; sexual behavior; insurance coverage and environmental safety factors.
The results were obtained by independent researchers from the Toledo-based Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio and their partners at the University of Toledo. Those researchers administered surveys to a cross-sectional, randomized sample of Medina County residents.
Ward said the survey found that Medina County was generally a healthy place to live with lower than average risk factors in many health measures. For instance, the survey found only 14 percent of adults here smoke compared to 22 percent of all Ohioans.
The complete Medina County Community Needs Assessment can be found on the web site of the Medina County Health Department.
Weight control
Sixty-eight percent of adults in Medina County are considered overweight. About 26 percent of youths here are considered overweight but 65 percent tried to lose weight.
Drug use
Four percent of Medina County adults had used marijuana during the past six months and 6 percent misused medications. Four percent of Medina County adults is a little over 4,000 people.
About 12 percent of youth (2,000) used marijuana at least once in the past 30 days and 14 percent of those in the ninth grade or above used marijuana. About 13 percent used medications not prescribed for them, 4 percent used cocaine and 2 percent, heroin.
Youth alcohol consumption
Almost one fourth (22 percent) of all county youth had at least one drink in the past 30 days. About 44 percent of all youth have tried alcohol at least once.