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Show Data Section This section provides a general overview of statistical data relating to health in Utah. When available, data for the United States are provided for comparison. In most cases, data are reported over a period of time to give the reader a sense of trends in Utah and the nation. The data section is divided into four subsections: Demographics; Health Status; Risk Factors; and Health Care Costs, Access, and Quality. These are followed by a List of Sources, citing all references used in the Data Section. New in this year's journal is a Topical Index. The data section is organized by types of data such as demographics and risk factors. Many readers are interested in obtaining information about a particular topic, such as hospital information or information on adolescents. To facilitate searching for topical information, a list of subjects and pages where further information on those subjects can be found is now included on page 28. Information about quality of life, or of hospital data, can be found throughout the Data Section, and the Topical Index allows the reader to find related information easily. It may be noted by careful observers that there is no longer a subsection entitled Health Risks to Children and Infants. Most of the data formerly found in the Health Risks to Children and Infants subsection has been moved into the Risk Factors subsection, so that risk factors to Utahns of all ages are now found in the same subsection. Information on children and infants are found throughout the Data Section; the new Topical Index will direct the reader to specific pages. Utahns generally enjoy good health relative to the rest of the United States. Utah continues to have the lowest rates of smoking in the nation and compares favorably in other measures of healthy behaviors. This may contribute to Utah's relatively low rates for certain chronic health problems such as lung cancers and diseases of the heart. However, Utah compares less favorably in other areas. Utah's mortality rate for prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, pneumonia, and influenza are higher than national averages. Suicide mortality rates and incidence of rape in Utah are also above U.S. rates. In addition, Utah, primarily along the Wasatch front, ranks below national air quality standards for a number of pollutants. This year's Review continues to incorporate data by county. While most Utahns live along the Wasatch Front, 22 percent of the state's population is spread out over a very large, geographically diverse area. Because including data representing the state as a whole may not reflect the reality for many Utahns, data provided by county allows a better targeted look at the status of Utah residents. Health care, in particular, requires examination by health region, since the availability of health care varies depending upon location within the state. This year, the data subsection editors and their assistants attempted to gather data from published sources only. This means that the Review reflects data that is more universally available. In some cases, data from previous issues gathered from unpublished sources were seen to be inaccurate. Acquisition of data from published sources has increased both the utility and accuracy of the Data Section. The List of Sources that concludes the Data Section is intended to provide the reader with a readily available reference for further research. The Data Section editorial staff would like to thank the concerted efforts of the data subsection editors and assistants; their interest and diligence is particularly appreciated. The members of the Data Advisory Committee, whose expertise and interest continually shape the Data Section, deserve special thanks from the editorial staff. 28 |
