Community Health
Many factors contribute to citizens’ physical health in the
City of Racine. Preventing the spread of communicable disease through vaccinations
and other measures helps the citizens of Racine to be healthier and more
productive. Understanding where improvements can be made allows for
concentrating economic resources in areas that will deliver the greatest
results for the community. This section contains information on demographics,
chronic diseases, communicable diseases, sexually-transmitted infections, prevention, and other factors
affecting health.
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Age demographics in the City of Racine show an
approximately even distribution of age groups, except for a smaller proportion of
elderly residents. Half of the total 2017 population (50%) was under age 35.
Nutrition
Source:
2017 Racine City Community Health Survey Report
Twenty-six
percent of adults and 31% of children in the City of Racine reported
eating the FDA recommended amount of vegetables each day. There is a significant portion
of both the adult and child populations that are not consuming the
suggested portions of fruits and vegetables.
Source:
County Health Rankings and Roadmaps
Racine
County has a larger percentage of people with limited access to healthy
foods than Kenosha, Milwaukee, and the State of Wisconsin.
Having limited access to healthy foods means an individual is both
living in poverty and does not live within one mile of a grocery store.
Sources:
Feeding America and
US Department of Agriculture
Food insecurity is defined as limited or uncertain access to affordable and nutritious food in sufficient quantity. This includes people who may not have the money to purchase food regularly and those who must decide to buy food or pay other expenses. In 2017, 10% of Racine County residents experienced food insecurity, which is comparable to the State of Wisconsin, and lower than the almost 12% in the entire United States.
Obesity/Sedentary Lifestyle
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control,
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, and
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
There is a larger percentage of overweight and obese people in the City of Racine than in Racine County, the state of Wisconsin, and the U.S. overall.
Sources:
2017 Racine City Community Health Survey Report,
2017 Central Racine County Community Health Survey Report,
County Health Rankings, and
Centers for Disease Control.
City of Racine residents are the least likely to meet physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, while Racine County residents are the most likely (48% and 57%, respectively).
Access to Healthcare
Sources:
Medicaid and
Forward Health
Racine County has a
higher rate of individuals enrolled in Medicaid than the State of Wisconsin, but lower than the U.S. Enrollment nationally increased due to Medicaid expansion in participating states resulting from implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Wisconsin opted out of the Medicaid expansion.
Source:
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Racine County has a slightly higher rate of people enrolled in
Medicare than both the State and U.S. as a whole, although there was a slight decrease in 2018. The increases
seen in recent years follow the same upward trend for all three
entities.
Sources:
2017 Racine City Community Health Survey,
2017 Central Racine County Community Health Survey,
Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation, and Centers for Disease Control
Approximately 97% of people in the City of Racine are covered by health insurance, which is higher than both Wisconsin and the U.S. All regions saw higher rates of insurance coverage in 2017 as compared to 2016, although the U.S. data remained unchanged.
Chronic Conditions
Source:
2017 Racine City Community Health Survey Report
Twenty-seven percent of City of Racine residents reported having high blood pressure in 2017, while 10% have diabetes and 17% have asthma.
Source:
2017 Racine City Community Health Survey Report
In 2017, most people with chronic diseases reported their conditions were generally well controlled through medication, diet, and lifestyle changes. Those with mental health conditions reported the worst results, at 73%.
Source:
2017 Racine City Community Health Survey Report
Preventative procedures are important to overall health by identifying diseases in early stages, which results in lower treatment costs and higher quality of life for individuals. City of Racine residents had recommended procedures performed at rates higher than, or equal to, populations in both Wisconsin and the United States in 2017.
Source:
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
During 2017, heart diseases and cancer were the leading causes of death in Racine County, accounting for 23% and 21% of deaths respectively.
Communicable Diseases
Source: City of Racine Public Health Department
Influenza resulting in hospitalization accounted for the highest prevalence of communicable diseases during 2018, with 11.2 cases for every 1,000 City residents. There were no reported cases of measles or mumps.
Sources: City of Racine Public Health Department,
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and
Centers for Disease Control.
The rate of new cases of HIV reported in the City of Racine increased in 2017 after three years of decline. The city has an incidence rate higher than Racine County, the State of Wisconsin, and the United States.
*STDs included in calculating the rate are chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.
Sources: City of Racine Public Health Department,
Central Racine County Health Department,
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and
Centers for Disease Control.
The rate of sexually transmitted infections has increased each year in the City of Racine, and has consistently remained much higher than the rest of Racine County, State of Wisconsin, and the United States.
Source: City of Racine Public Health Department
The highest incidence of chlamydia consistently occur in persons 20-29 years old. While the number of cases has been increasing from year to year, the proportion of cases in each age group remains nearly the same.
Source: City of Racine Public Health Department
Individuals aged
20-29 had the highest number of gonorrhea infections in the City of Racine during 2018.
Sources: City of Racine Public Health Department and
Centers for Disease Control
In 2014, the State of Wisconsin had a very small incidence rate of measles, with Racine County and the City of Racine having zero cases. The rate of measles in the United States dropped between 2015 and 2017, with a marked increase in 2018.
Sources: City of Racine Public Health Department,
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and
Centers for Disease Control
The City of Racine has not had any reported cases of mumps since 2014. For all years depicted, there were outbreaks in several areas around the State of Wisconsin, while the United States saw a surge in mumps infections during 2016 and 2017.
Sources: City of Racine Public Health Department,
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and
Centers for Disease Control
2016 saw a slight rise in the rate of pertussis (whooping cough) infection in the City of Racine, Racine County, and the State of Wisconsin. Rates have since decreased, and the City of Racine's rate remains similar to both the County and the State. The U.S. had a spike in the infection rate during 2014, but has generally been decreasing each year since.
Sources: City of Racine Public Health Department,
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and
Centers for Disease Control.
Although relatively
low, the City of Racine's rate of tuberculosis infection has been consistently
higher than both Racine County and the State of Wisconsin. 2015 did see a significant spike in the City's infection rate while both the County's and State's rates remained low. The U.S. rate has remained steady and decreased slightly in 2017.
Infant Mortality
Sources:
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
The number of infant
deaths in the City of Racine shows an increasing trend, especially with the 25% increase in 2015 over 2014. It remains higher than the average infant mortality rate in
Racine County and the State of Wisconsin. Data for City of Racine and Racine County has not been updated by the State for 2017.
Women's Health
Sources:
2017 Racine City Community Health Survey Report,
2017 Central Racine County Community Survey Report,
Centers for Disease Control, and
National Cancer Institute.
A smaller percentage of women in the City of Racine underwent recommended health screenings than in other regions. In 2017, fewer than half of eligible women in Racine had an HPV test within the previous five years (47%).
Source:
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
The teen pregnancy rate has fallen in
the last few years for the City of Racine, despite a small increase during 2015. It remains much higher than the rates for
Racine County and State of Wisconsin.
Children's Health
Source:
2017 Racine City Community Health Survey Report
Parents reported in 2017 that 99% of children always or often feel safe in their neighborhood, although 13% of children experienced some form of bullying during the previous 12 month period. Most children also received preventative health care (85%), which is important for healthy growth and development.
Sources:
Wisconsin Department of Health Services and
Centers for Disease Control.
Both the City of Racine and Racine County children had higher vaccination rates than the State of Wisconsin as a whole. Rates for the City of Racine are decreasing over time. State and national vaccination rates have not yet been released for 2018.
Oral Health
Sources:
2017 Racine City Community Health Survey Report,
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and
Centers for Disease Control.
Oral health is an important component of overall physical health. Poor oral health can lead to tooth and gum diseases, and may contribute to additional health problems. In 2017, only 57% of City of Racine residents reported having a dental checkup in the previous year.
Violent Crime
Source:
FBI Violent Crime statistics
Violent crime is defined as murder,
non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The City of Racine has a higher rate of violent crime than Racine County, the State of Wisconsin, and the U.S. The rates remained relatively stable until 2017, when City of Racine saw a significant increase.
Source:
2017 Racine City Community Health Survey Report
In 2017, three percent of City of Racine residents reported either feeling afraid for their personal safety or that they had been pushed, kicked, slapped or hit.