Other Health Indicators

Cause of Death & Common Diseases

For the King County population as a whole, stroke, heart disease and cancer alone constitute 56% of all deaths.

Health Risk Factors

Obesity

As measured in 2004, the rate of adult obesity in King County is on the rise, with 17.7% of those 18 years or older are considered obese (having a Body Mass Index greater than 30) . Obesity rates are not experienced equally, however. Low-income people making less than $25,000 annually, African Americans, Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, those living in South King County, and adults between the ages of 45 and 64 all experience the highest rates of obesity. Further, obesity rates among persons with incomes less than $15,000 were 20.0% as compared to 15.1% among persons with incomes greater than $50,000, a 32% difference. One study looking at geographical area as a risk factor for obesity found that, more so than race or ethnicity, zip code was highly correlated with obesity.

Smoking

According to the King County Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, in 2004, 15.2% of King County adults admitted to smoking everyday or some days. Overall, however, there is no group who has experienced an increase in smoking since 1995. Adults between 18 and 24, males, those living in South King County, and African Americans, Native Americans/Alaskan Natives and Hispanics/Latinos all have the highest rates of smoking.

Source: Washington State/King County/U.S. Centers for Disease Control Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance

Physical Activity

Overall, 55.7% of adults in King County report a moderate level of activity; while 33.1% report vigorous activity levels .

Dental Care

Overall in 2004, 26.1% of all King County adults did not see a dentist in the past year.

Source: Washington State/King County/U.S. Centers for Disease Control Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance

Low Birth Weight Rate

Low Birth Weight Rate is the percentage of infants weighing less than 2500 grams at birth. Low birth weight is an important predictor of poor health and risk of death among infants. The low birth weight rate in King County has increased significantly. The rate was 6.3% in 2003. This increase is attributed to an increase in multiple births resulting from assisted reproductive technologies. The rate of low-birth-weight babies has not changed for singleton births. African American, Native American, and Asian people have higher rates of low-birth-weight babies than do White or Latina mothers.