Using the new County Health Data tool, EHF’s research team analyzed thousands of health indicators, behaviors and other statistics across the 57 counties within the Episcopal Diocese of Texas (EDOT).
Here are five key takeaways from the research:
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Uninsured rates
EDOT counties, along with the rest of the state of Texas, have some of the highest rates of uninsured in the country – especially among adults ages 18 to 64.
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Child poverty
Texas already has one of the highest child poverty rates in the country. Almost half of all EDOT counties have higher child poverty rates than the state average.
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Health workforce shortage
EDOT counties, along with the rest of the state, have a significant shortage especially with mental health providers and primary care doctors. This problem is most pronounced in rural areas.
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Obesity rates
More than half of EDOT counties have a higher obesity rate than the state average. Texas already has one of the highest obesity rates in the United States. Not surprisingly, EDOT counties also had high rates of people diagnosed with diabetes.
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Good news – graduation rates
EDOT counties, along with the rest of the state, have high graduation rates among high school students compared to the rest of the country.