Health and Nutrition of West Alexander, PA Residents

Diet Behavior & Nutrition

Fifty three percent of West Alexander residents report that their diet is generally healthy. People here have milk to drink or on their cereal 24 times per month. This includes chocolate and other flavored milks, as well as hot cocoa made with milk, and does not count small amounts of milk added to coffee or tea. People living here eat an average of three meals (breakfasts, lunches or dinners) per week that were prepared away from home in places such as restaurants, fast food places, food stands, grocery stores or from vending machines. People here eat two "ready to eat" foods such as salads, soups, chicken, sandwiches and cooked vegetables per month. They also eat three frozen meals or frozen pizzas on average monthly.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Oral Health

The average West Alexander resident last visited a dentist four years ago (including all types of dentists, such as, orthodontists, oral surgeons, and all other dental specialists, as well as dental hygienists). West Alexander residents rate the overall health of their teeth and gums on average at 54 percent. People living here aged 30 years and older, aside from brushing their teeth with toothbrush, use dental floss or any other device that clean between teeth on average two days per week. They also use mouthwash or other dental rinse products to treat dental disease or dental problems an average of three days per week. The average person living here (including children) has 15 teeth.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Weight

The average height of West Alexander residents 16 years and older is 61 inches. The average weight is 156 pounds. Their average BMI (Body Mass Index) is 29. Forty five percent of people living here are obese. Twenty six percent have ever been obese. Thirty six percent have ever tried to lose weight.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Drug Use

Forty percent of West Alexander residents have ever used marijuana or hashish. Fourteen percent of people living here have ever used cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine. Thirteen percent have ever used any form of cocaine, such as powder, 'crack', 'free base', and coca paste. Thirteen percent have ever used methamphetamines.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Diabetes

Seventeen percent of people living in West Alexander have ever been told by a doctor or health professional that they have diabetes. Twenty four percent of people had a blood test for high sugar or diabetes within the past three years.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Kidney Conditions-Urology

West Alexander residents 20 years and older on average get up to urinate two time at night (from time they go to bed at night until the time they get up in the morning).

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Taste & Smell

Hundred percent of people above the age of 40 have ever had wisdom teeth removed. Thirty three percent have lost consciousness because of a head injury. Sixty seven percent have had two or more sinus infections.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Health Insurance

Seventy two percent of people living in West Alexander are covered by health insurance or some other kind of health care plan.

Summary

Blood Pressure & Cholesterol

Seventeen percent of people living in West Alexander have been ever told by a doctor or other health professional that they had hypertension (also called high blood pressure). Thirty four percent of people take their blood pressure at home. Forty three percent of people in West Alexander frequently check their blood cholesterol. Fifty percent of people have ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that their blood cholesterol level was high.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Dermatology

Forty four percent of people living in West Alexander use sunscreen.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Mental Health

Twelve percent of West Alexander residents 18 years old and older have usually little interest or pleasure in doing things. Eighteen percent often feel down, depressed, or hopeless. Thirty six percent of people living here have trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleep too much. Fifty five percent of people often feel tired or have little energy. Twenty percent are bothered by poor appetite or overeating. Twenty two percent often feel badly about themselves, that they are a failure or have let themselves or their families down. Ten percent have trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching TV. Twenty seven percent of people living here move or speak so slowly that other people could have noticed, or the opposite - being so fidgety or restless that they have been moving around a lot more than usual. Five percent have thoughts that they would be better off dead or of hurting themselves in some way.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Prescription Medications

West Alexander residents on average take three prescription medicines.

Summary

Alcohol use

Sixty five percent of people living in West Alexander have at least one alcoholic drink per month. Twenty nine percent of people living here do not drink alcohol at all. People living here drink alcohol 5.8 days per month on average. They have 11.8 drinks per week.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Sexual Behavior

Hundred percent of West Alexander residents 18 years and older have ever had vaginal, anal or oral sex. Hundred percent of females have ever had vaginal sex with a man. Eighty five percent have ever performed oral sex on a man. Fifty five percent have ever had anal sex. People in West Alexander were 18 years old on average when they had sex for the first time. People living here were on average 21 years old when they first performed oral sex on a woman. People in West Alexander were 20 years old on average when they first performed oral sex on a man. They performed oral sex on average on three men in their lifetime. Thirteen percent of people use protection, like a condom or dental dam, while performing oral sex. The average person in West Alexander has vaginal or anal sex 118 times a year. Forty one percent have sex without using a condom.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Pesticide Use

Eight percent of households in West Alexander use chemical products in their homes to control fleas, roaches, ants, termites or other insects.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Sleep Disorders

West Alexander residents 16 years and older usually get eight hours of sleep at night on weekdays or workdays. Twenty one percent of them have trouble sleeping.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Smoking-Cigarette Use

Thirty percent of West Alexander residents currently smoke cigarettes.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Physical Activity

Fifteen percent of people do moderate-intensity activities at work that cause small increases in breathing or heart rate such as brisk walking or carrying light loads for at least 10 minutes continuously. Twenty percent walk or bicycle for at least 10 minutes continuously to get to and from places. Ten percent do any vigorous-intensity sports, fitness or recreational activities that cause large increases in breathing or heart rate like running or basketball for at least 10 minutes continuously. Thirty one percent do any moderate-intensity sports, fitness or recreational activities that cause a small increase in breathing or heart rate such as brisk walking, bicycling, swimming or golf for at least 10 minutes continuously. People living here spend seven hours sitting on a typical day (this includes sitting at work, at home, getting to and from places, or with friends, including time spent sitting at a desk, traveling in a car or bus, reading, playing cards, watching television or using a computer). They usually sit and watch TV or videos for about four hours per day. They use a computer or play computer games (including Playstation, Nintendo DS, or other portable video games) outside of work or school for 0.7 hours per day.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Medical Conditions

Twenty three percent of West Alexander residents have ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that they had asthma. Twenty two percent are overweight. Thirty three percent of people 60 years and older have difficulties in thinking or remembering that can make a big difference in everyday activities (this does not refer to occasionally forgetting your keys or the name of someone you recently met). This refers to things like confusion or memory loss that are happening more often or getting worse. Twenty two percent have trouble seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses. Eighteen percent have another thyroid problem.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Reproductive Health

Sixty percent of births in West Alexander were vaginal deliveries. Forty percent of deliveries were cesarean. 99.5 percent of deliveries resulted in live births. Sixty one percent of pregnancies resulted in a delivery. Ninety one percent of women breastfeed their children. Fifty five percent have ever taken birth control pills for any reason. Five percent of women are currently taking birth control pills. Thirty eight percent have ever used Depo-Provera or injectable birth control to prevent pregnancy.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Current Health Status

People living in West Alexander report their general health condition on average at 56 percent. Two percent of them donate blood. Excluding tests they have had as part of blood donations, 47 percent of West Alexander residents have ever had their blood tested for the AIDS virus infection. Eight percent of people living in West Alexander are left-handed.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Consumer Behavior

People in West Alexander spend $443 per month on average on food for their families at supermarkets or grocery stores. This is 17 percent of their income. The average family in West Alexander spends $178 on food at other stores monthly. This is seven percent of their income. They spend $134 on eating out, including cafeterias at work or at school or on vending machines. This is four percent of their income. They also spend $37 monthly on carried out or delivered food. This is one percent of their income.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Audiometry

People living in West Alexander report their general condition of hearing on average at 71 percent. Ninety eight percent of them can usually hear and understand, without the use of a hearing aid or any other listening devices, what a person says without seeing his or her face if that person whispers to them from across a quiet room. Hundred percent of people can hear a normal voice across a quiet room. Twenty five percent of people living here have ever had a job where they were exposed to loud sounds or noise. Loud means so loud that they must speak in a raised voice to be heard. Six percent of people in West Alexander had off-work exposure to loud noise.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Preventive Aspirin Use

Thirty three percent of West Alexander residents 40 and older take a low-dose aspirin each day to prevent heart attacks, strokes or cancer.

Summary

The biggest differences compared to state averages have been highlighted with a blue background.

Physical Functioning

Twenty three percent are limited in the kind or amount of work they can do because of physical, mental or emotional problems.

Summary