New York State County Health Assessment Indicators

The New York State County Health Assessment Indicator (CHAI) Reports consist of a series of tables presenting selected public health indicators by 14 health topic areas. Each topic contains an "About" section defining the listed indicators, describing the source of data and identifying a contact person. These public health indicators and presentation format were developed with input from state and local health department representatives.

14 Health topic areas
Cancer Data Immunization and Infectious Diseases Data
Child and Adolescent Health Data Injury Mortality and Morbidity Data
Cirrhosis and Diabetes Data Maternal and Infant Health Data
Family Planning/Natality Data Oral Health Data
Health Behaviors Data Occupational Health Data
Heart Disease and Stroke Data Respiratory Diseases Data
HIV, AIDS and STDs Data Socio-Economic Status Data

Data resources used in compiling tables

  • New York State birth, death, and fetal death files for mortality and natality rates.
  • Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative Systems (SPARC) files, based on hospital discharges, for information on morbidity.
  • Department of Health disease registries, including cancer, AIDS/HIV, communicable disease, and sexually transmitted disease.
  • Program-based systems. (STD), Occupational Health
  • The Expanded Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Expanded BRFSS), based on a household telephone survey, for information on health behaviors.
  • Other non-health department sources such as the US Census Bureau Small Area Data Set and the NYS Departments of Education, Labor, and Motor Vehicles.

Methodology

Most indicators are presented using the last three years of available data for the numerator, and the three-year average for the county and state rates. The mid-year population (2003 for 2002-2004 rate) was used for the denominator in generating these rates. County rates were compared to New York State, New York State (excl. NYC) for "upstate" counties, or New York City for "city" counties/boroughs, and tested to see whether the two rates were "significantly" different at the 95% level. A quartile ranking of the county rate, in relation to the rates of all 62 NYS counties, was also included for each indicator (1 - most favorable, 4 - least favorable). The Healthy People 2010 Goal is also presented, if available.

Mortality and hospitalization-based indicators are presented as both crude and age-adjusted rates. The standard population used for adjustment was the 2000 United States population. Age-adjustment allows for the comparison of rates between counties because they are less influenced by differences in the county age distribution.

Behavior/Risk Indicators were generated using the Expanded BRFSS. The Expanded BRFSS was a telephone-based survey collecting information on self-reported health risk behaviors in adult New Yorkers. The Expanded BRFSS was conducted from July 2002 through 2003 in 38 localities (individual counties and county groupings) comprising the entire state. The Expanded BRFSS questionnaire was constructed of standard BRFSS items and modules developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Questionnaire development began with the selection of a common set of core items and modules to be asked in each of the 38 localities. Each locality was then allowed to select optional items and modules of particular interest to their respective area to complete the balance of their specific questionnaire.

Expanded BRFSS-based indicators present the weighted percent and its 95% confidence interval. Statewide Expanded BRFSS data are available only on items contained in the "core" questionnaire. For county-selected optional items, the Expanded BRFSS results are compared to statewide BRFSS data. Quartile ranks are based on county or county groupings that collected that item on their questionnaire.

Note! Rates based on fewer than 20 events in the numerator will be highlighted (*) as unstable. The numerator and rates are suppressed if based on one or two events.