Public Health Data Watch Reports
Key Health Indicators for King County, Washington State
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August 2008
Health of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders in King County
Documents the health of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders living in King County for the first time, pointing out higher rates of poverty, smoking, and poor birth outcomes among this population when compared with the general population.
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April 2007
Diabetes in King County
The number of people in King County with diabetes doubled in the past decade. Such a rapid increase in the occurrence of a chronic illness is very rare. Diabetes now affects 84,000 adults in King County or 5.8% of the adult population.
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November 2005
Asthma in King County
The impact of asthma has increased markedly over the past two decades, making it a leading public health issue. It is the most common chronic childhood illness and accounts for large numbers of missed school and work days for children and their caregivers.
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September 2005
The Uninsured in King County, 1995-2004
This Data Watch describes lack of health insurance in King County for the last 10 years of available data (1995-2004). The increasing burden falls on the entire safety net, with community health centers, public health centers and hospitals trying to cope with the health care costs of clients who are uninsured or underinsured.
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October 2004
Racial Disparities in Infant Mortality: An Update King County, 1980-2002
Over the last two decades, infant mortality rates (IMRs) in Seattle and King County have steadily declined, reflecting trends in Washington state and nationwide. These improvements are largely attributed to technological advances in medical care, policies and programs to expand health services and insurance coverage, and successful health education campaigns. The overall declines in infant mortality, however, conceal wide and persistent disparities by race, socioeconomic status and neighborhood. For instance, African American and American Indians/Alaska Natives in King County continue to experience IMRs more than two times higher than other groups.
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June 2003
Adolescent Pregnancy, Birth and Abortion, King County, 1980 - 2001
This report presents trends in the rates of pregnancy, birth and abortion to females, 15-17 years of age (teens) within King County from 1980 through 2001. Specific regions and health planning areas within King County are examined along with demographic data to further understand the dynamics of the trends and disparities in rates of teen birth within King County.
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August 2002
Bullying and Biased-Based Harassment in King County Schools
In recent years, bullying in schools has gained considerable media attention with reports of high profile shootings in schools by students who subsequently report having been humiliated on a regular basis by their peers. While these extreme occurrences are rare, the association of these events with bullying has prompted researchers to question how common bullying is and how it effects targeted children and adolescents.
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March 2002
Overweight and Obesity in King County
The percentage of King County residents who are overweight or obese has risen rapidly over the last 15 years. By 2001, one in every two King County adults were either overweight or obese. Obesity increases the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart disease. After smoking, excessive weight-for-height is the second leading cause of preventable death.
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August 2000
Firearm Injuries and Deaths, King County and Seattle
As a result of the declines in motor vehicle related deaths, firearms have now emerged as the leading cause of injury death in major segments of King County's population. Despite recent improvements in the firearm death rate, firearms in our community continue to be an important public health issue.
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August 2000
New King County Report Documenting Racial Disparities in Infant Mortality
The tremendous improvement in infant mortality County-wide masks persistent disparities among King County's racial and ethnic groups: African Americans and Native Americans in the County continue to experience infant death rates that are 2.7 times higher than other groups, a gap that appears to have widened in recent years.
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January 2000
The Uninsured in King County (1991-1998)
In 1998, 11% of King County residents age 18 to 64 lacked health insurance. Within King County, disparities in insurance coverage exist by income, race and age. Lower-income adults (in households earning less than $25,000/year) are 10 times more likely to lack coverage than those with higher incomes ($50,000 or more per year), with trend data indicating that disparities in insurance coverage have increased since 1991.
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November 1999
Diabetes in King County
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which insulin deficiency and/or resistance to insulin action leads to a high level of sugar in the blood. Without proper treatment, diabetes can lead to serious complications such as kidney failure, blindness, and lower extremity amputation.The prevalence of diabetes has been increasing, especially in minority populations.
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October 1999
Healthy Youth in King County, Highlights
Communities everywhere are looking for ways to ensure that children approach adolescence as healthy individuals and stay healthy into and throughout adulthood. Healthy Youth in King County, provides a wide range of information on the health of youth and young adults living in King County.
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January 1999
Unintended Pregnancy and Birth, King County, 1993-1996
An unintended pregnancy is a pregnancy that, from the perspective of the woman, is either unwanted or mistimed (occurring earlier than desired) at the time of conception. Studies show that women who give birth from an unintended pregnancy have an increased risk of: alcohol, tobacco, other substance use during pregnancy, intimate partner violence, maternal depression, divorce or separation from their partner, losing educational and financial opportunities.
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February 1998
Childhood Asthma Hospitalizations, King County, 1987-1996
Over the last 10 years, childhood hospitalizations for asthma have been increasing in King County, even as the rate of all other childhood hospitalizations have decreased. Rates increased in high, medium and low poverty neighborhoods, but were highest in neighborhoods with the greatest poverty.
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August 1998
The Health of King County, Highlights
These highlights are a summary of The Health of King County, a comprehensive report that examines the health status of King County residents in 1996. This report summarizes trends in major indicators of health. It also documents variation in these indicators by age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and area of residence within the county.
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April 1996
Changing Direction: An Update on Teenage Pregnancy and Birth in King County
Births to adolescents continue as an issue of public concerns because of their detrimental effects to mothers and their children. These adverse outcomes include poverty, unemployment, and poor educational opportunities. |
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related sites
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 "If it Happens,
It Happens"
Unintended pregnancy remains a significant public health problem in King County despite multi-agency efforts to reduce the rate of unplanned conceptions.
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Physical Activity
 For good health every person should do 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the day on five or more days of the week.
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Firearm Lockboxes
 Why should you buy a device to lock your handgun? It prevents children from being injured or killed, prevents crimes from being committed with your gun, prevents depressed teens from committing suicide and helps keep schools gun-free.
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Family Planning Program
The Family Planning Program provides reproductive health, birth control, STD, outreach and education services for King County residents in order to promote sexual health and well being and reduce unintended pregnancies.
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 Youth Health Services Youth Health Services works to ensure high-quality, coordinated, and comprehensive health services are available to youth and young adults throughout King County.
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King County Asthma Resources
 An estimated 22,209 King County children under 18 have asthma. It is the second leading cause of hospitalization in children in King County.
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Free or Low-Cost Health Insurance
If you are currently not insured for medical care, visit our Affordable Health  Care webpages to see if you qualify.
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