Health Status

Description of Indicator
The health status indicator tracks several areas across gender, age, education, household income, race, and sexual orientation in Pennsylvania. These factors include continued poor physical health, diabetes, poor mental health, and depressive disorder.

Why is it Important?
The health status indicators paint a picture of Pennsylvania adults and point to the potential need for advances in prevention, care, and treatment of specific ailments. In addition, these indicators can decrease one’s ability to function in daily life and can result in poor quality of life and economic outcomes.

How is the Region Performing ?
Across Pennsylvania, greater shares of females identify their physical health not being good for 14+ days in the past month. Those who are 45+ or have lower levels of education and household income also have higher shares with poor physical health for 14+ days in the past month. Those who identify as Hispanic or lesbian, gay or bisexual also experience higher rates of 14+ days of poor physical health in the past month.

Larger shares of females as well as those in the 18-29 age bracket, have lower levels of educational attainment, and household income identify as having poor mental health for 14+ days in the past month or some form of depressive order. Greater shares of those who identify as Black, non-Hispanic identify as having poor mental health or some form of depressive order. And those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual have a significantly greater share than those who identify as straight of having poor mental health for 14+ days or some form of depressive order.