2. Table of Contents
Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………………...…3
Data Findings/Conditions
Age-Adjusted death rate due to influence and Pneumonia……..………………………….….....3
Figure 1
Figure 2
Age-Adjusted death rate due to Alzheimer’s disease…………..………………………………...5
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Age-Adjusted mortality due to suicide.........................................................................................7
Figure 6
Excessive Drinking………...………………………………………………….……………...….8
Figure 7
Disability………………………………………………………………..……………………….9
Figure 8
Figure 9
Conclusion……………………………………………………............................................…….10
Reference…………………………………………………………………………………......….11
3. Executive summary
This brief summary serves as an overview of the major health concerns Sussex County should
focus on based on comparative data. This data indicates that there should be a major focus on
Age- Adjusted death rate due to influenza and pneumonia, and Alzheimer’s disease, Age-
Adjusted mortality due to suicide, excessive drinking and Disability. It is important to focus on
these points because improving these health concerns can drastically improve the lives of Sussex
County’s residents.
Age-Adjusted death rate due to Influenza and Pneumonia
Influenza and pneumonia are a leading cause of death in the United States. These two diseases
are traditionally reported together because pneumonia is frequently a complication of influenza.
Influenza is a contagious disease that is caused by a virus and attacks the respiratory system.
Young children and older adults are at high risk due to their weakened immune system.
Pneumonia is a serious infection of the lungs that develops when the immune system is weak.
Viruses, mycoplasmas, or bacteria mainly cause the fluid buildup within the lungs to cause
pneumonia. Even though influenza and pneumonia come hand-to-hand in many cases, there are
more deaths from pneumonia than from influenza. Every individual six months or older is
suggested to get an influenza vaccination to prevent complications from influenza. These
vaccines are mostly for those who are at more risk, which are the elderly, very young children
and those who have immune systems that are compromised. Another fact is that according to
Figure 1, the death rate due to influenza and pneumonia of males is much higher in comparison
to females. Compared to all counties in New Jersey, Sussex County has highest deaths due to
influenza and pneumonia, 13.6 deaths per 100,000 population.
5. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia among older people. A
progressive and irreversible disease damages memory and affects thinking and behavior to the
point of eventually interfering with daily tasks. Alzheimer's imposes heavy emotional and
financial burdens on families. Unfortunately, there is no cure, but there are treatments that can
slow the progression of Alzheimer's and improve the quality of life for people with Alzheimer's
and their caregivers. Currently the greatest risk factor is increasing age. Mostly after age of 65, it
is more likely to start developing the disease and the risk is approximately 50% after age of 85.
According to Figure 3, Sussex County has the greatest number of deaths due to Alzheimer’s
disease. Figure 4 explains how drastically the number of deaths have decreased in Sussex
Country, from 34 to 28 deaths per 100,000 populations. Even though these numbers have
decreased a great deal, the numbers are nowhere near as the other counties. Figure 4 shows an
interesting fact on how the death rate for females with Alzheimer’s is much greater than males
with Alzheimer’s.
Figure 3
Figure 4
7. Age-Adjusted Mortality due to suicide
Suicide is another leading cause of death in the United States, presenting a major and preventable
public health problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than
34,000 people kill themselves each year. An estimated of 25 attempted suicides occur per every
suicide death, and those who survive suicide may have serious injuries and other mental
problems. Meaning for every one person that has committed suicide there were 25 failed
attempts of committing suicide. Men are about four times more likely than women to die of
suicide, but this fact is outweighed by how three times more women than men report attempting
suicide. Suicide occurs at a strangely higher rate among adults 75 years and older. The indicator
for Sussex county shows that 11.4 deaths per 100,000 populations has committed suicide, this
number has been decreasing over time as figure 6 indicates.
Figure 6
Excessive Drinking
8. Drinking alcohol has immediate physiological effects on all tissues of the body, which include
those in the brain. Alcohol is a depressant that impairs reaction time, judgment, vision, and
decision-making, which may lead to harmful behaviors. According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, excessive alcohol use, either in the form of heavy drinking or binge
drinking, can lead to increased risk of health problems, such as liver disease, alcohol poisoning,
hypertension, and motor vehicle crashes due to visual and judgment impairment. Approximately
80,000 deaths are attributed annually to excessive drinking. Excessive drinking is the third
leading lifestyle-related cause of death in the United States. Sussex County has been
experiencing increased death rates every year for excessive drinking. Eighteen percent of Sussex
Country’s population is excessively drinking compared to the entire state, which is 16%. This
shows that just in Sussex County alone that there are more people drinking than in New Jersey
overall.
Figure 7
9. Disability
People with disabilities have difficulties performing daily activities due to a physical, mental, or
emotional condition. Without necessary accommodations, people with disabilities may have
difficulties living independently or fulfilling work responsibilities. Numerous federals agencies
use information on the size, distribution and needs of the disabled population in order to develop
policies, distribute funds, and develop programs for individuals with disabilities. Disabled people
are heavily dependent on the social and physical environment in which he or she lives in.
According to Figure 8, since 2013 the percent of people with disabilities went from 8.75% to
11.5%, this number has increased drastically. Figure 9 explains how many of the people with
disabilities are 64 years or older, they account for over 33.1%. This data just shows how the
elderly are increasingly becoming disabled.
Figure 8
10. Figure 9
Conclusion
This assessment shows how important it is to improve the quality of healthcare in Sussex
County. It has the highest rates of almost every topic discussed earlier. The data accumulated
over time shows how bad the death rates are becoming over time. With the improvement of
health care and informing patients about risks, rates should be going down over time. Death
related to influenza and pneumonia have increased, more elderly people are dealing with
Alzheimer’s and disabilities, and more residents are committing suicide and are drinking
excessively.
11. Reference
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
28 Jan. 2016. Web. 09 Nov. 2016.
• "Sussex County, New Jersey | County Health Rankings & Roadmaps." 2016. 9 Nov. 2016
http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/?_escaped_fragment_=/new-
jersey/2015/rankings/sussex/county/factors/overall/snapshot
• "North Jersey Health Collaborative ::." 9 Nov. 2016 http://www.njhealthmatters.org/
• "2014 Data Profiles | American Community Survey | US ... - Census.gov." 2015. 9 Nov.
2016 <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data/data-tables-and-tools/data-profiles/>
