Cancer, heart disease top killers in Norwalk

[Excerpt - see full article at http://www.thehour.com/news/article/Cancer-heart-disease-top-killers-in-...

By Robert Koch Thursday, July 14, 2016

"Chronic disease and conditions leading to chronic diseases like obesity are still of concern,” Callahan said. “Mental health and substance abuses continues to be a concern and then the third one that we agreed we should take some action on is access to health care.” Education, employment, housing and incomes were among the social factors considered in the assessment.

The assessment consisted of a Community Wellbeing Survey in which DataHaven of New Haven interviewed by telephone 16,219 people statewide, including 600 Norwalk residents.

Input from healthcare stakeholders and hospital use data from the Connecticut Hospital Association comprised the other legs of the study.

Twenty-two percent of Norwalk reported being obese as compared to 11 percent in greater Norwalk, 22 percent in Fairfield County and 26 percent statewide. Greater Norwalk is defined as Norwalk, New Canaan, Westport, Weston and Wilton.

Eighty-nine percent of Norwalk respondents reported their health as being good, very good or excellent, as compared to 95 percent in greater Norwalk, 88 percent in Fairfield County and 85 percent statewide.

Thirteen percent of Norwalk respondents identified themselves as smokers as compared to 5 percent in greater Norwalk, 12 percent in Fairfield County and 15 percent in Connecticut. Eight percent of Norwalk respondents reported drinking or drug use. That’s compared to 8 percent in greater Norwalk, 8 percent in Fairfield County and 10 percent statewide, according to the assessment. Nine percent of Norwalk respondents reported having no health insurance as compared to 2 percent in greater Norwalk, 6 percent in Fairfield County and 5 percent across Connecticut. Twenty percent of Norwalk respondents visited an emergency room one to two times over the last year as compared to 21 percent statewide. Four percent of Norwalk responds visited an emergency room three or more times in the last year as compared to 5 percent statewide, according to the assessment.