Health and Nutrition of Harding-Birch Lakes, AK Residents

Diet Behavior & Nutrition

Forty eight percent of Harding-Birch Lakes residents report that their diet is generally healthy. People here have milk to drink or on their cereal 12 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 five 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. They get one of these meals from a fast-food or pizza place. People here eat three "ready to eat" foods such as salads, soups, chicken, sandwiches and cooked vegetables per month. They also eat two 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 Harding-Birch Lakes resident last visited a dentist two years ago (including all types of dentists, such as, orthodontists, oral surgeons, and all other dental specialists, as well as dental hygienists). Fourteen percent of people living here 30 years of age and older, are embarrassed because of their teeth, mouth or dentures. Sixteen percent think they might have gum disease (might have swollen gums, receding gums, sore or infected gums or loose teeth). Harding-Birch Lakes residents rate the overall health of their teeth and gums on average at 44 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 two days per week. The average person living here (including children) has 25 teeth.

Summary

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

Weight

The average height of Harding-Birch Lakes residents 16 years and older is 69 inches. The average weight is 207 pounds. Their average BMI (Body Mass Index) is 31. Forty one percent of people living here are obese. Seventy percent have ever been obese. Forty 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

Seventy five percent of Harding-Birch Lakes residents have ever used marijuana or hashish. Thirty nine percent of people living here have ever used cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine. Thirty nine percent have ever used any form of cocaine, such as powder, 'crack', 'free base', and coca paste. Five percent have ever used heroin. Thirty three percent have ever used methamphetamines.

Summary

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

Diabetes

Fifteen percent of people living in Harding-Birch Lakes have ever been told by a doctor or health professional that they have diabetes. Forty eight 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

Harding-Birch Lakes 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

Fifteen percent of Harding-Birch Lakes residents above the age of 40 have problems with their ability to smell, such as not being able to smell things or things not smelling the way they are supposed to. Sixty four percent of people above the age of 40 have ever had wisdom teeth removed. Fifteen percent have ever had their tonsils removed. Nine percent have lost consciousness because of a head injury. Twenty three percent have ever had a broken nose or other serious injury to face or skull. Twenty 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

Thirty four percent of people living in Harding-Birch Lakes are covered by health insurance or some other kind of health care plan.

Summary

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

Blood Pressure & Cholesterol

Twenty two percent of people living in Harding-Birch Lakes have been ever told by a doctor or other health professional that they had hypertension (also called high blood pressure). Fifteen percent of people take their blood pressure at home. Forty one percent of people in Harding-Birch Lakes frequently check their blood cholesterol. Thirty four 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

Twenty eight percent of people living in Harding-Birch Lakes use sunscreen.

Summary

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

Mental Health

Twenty one percent of Harding-Birch Lakes residents 18 years old and older have usually little interest or pleasure in doing things. Sixteen percent often feel down, depressed, or hopeless. Forty one percent of people living here have trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleep too much. Forty eight percent of people often feel tired or have little energy. Nineteen percent are bothered by poor appetite or overeating. Twelve percent often feel badly about themselves, that they are a failure or have let themselves or their families down. Fourteen percent have trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching TV. Eleven 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. Two 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

Harding-Birch Lakes residents on average take one prescription medicines.

Summary

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

Alcohol use

Eighty three percent of people living in Harding-Birch Lakes have at least one alcoholic drink per month. Six percent of people living here do not drink alcohol at all. People living here drink alcohol 4.9 days per month on average. They have 13.5 drinks per week. On average people living here have 5 or more drinks on 63 days a year.

Summary

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

Sexual Behavior

Hundred percent of Harding-Birch Lakes residents 18 years and older have ever had vaginal, anal or oral sex. Hundred percent of males have ever had vaginal sex with a woman. Ninety six percent have ever performed oral sex on a woman. Fifty three percent have ever had anal sex with a woman. Eleven percent of males in Harding-Birch Lakes have ever had any kind of sex with a man, including oral or anal. People in Harding-Birch Lakes were 15 years old on average when they had sex for the first time. The average man in his lifetime had any kind of sex with 69 women. He has vaginal sex with 53 women. People living here were on average 20 years old when they first performed oral sex on a woman. People in Harding-Birch Lakes were 18 years old on average when they first performed oral sex on a man. The average person in Harding-Birch Lakes has vaginal or anal sex 41 times a year. Forty eight percent have sex without using a condom. Fifty nine percent of men 18 years old and older are circumcised.

Summary

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

Pesticide Use

Nineteen percent of households in Harding-Birch Lakes 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

Harding-Birch Lakes residents 16 years and older usually get six hours of sleep at night on weekdays or workdays. Eighteen percent of them have trouble sleeping.

Summary

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

Smoking-Cigarette Use

Sixty two percent of Harding-Birch Lakes residents currently smoke cigarettes.

Summary

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

Physical Activity

Thirty eight percent of Harding-Birch Lakes residents' work involve vigorous-intensity activity that causes large increases in breathing or heart rate, like carrying or lifting heavy loads, digging or construction work for at least 10 minutes continuously. Fifty four 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 seven percent walk or bicycle for at least 10 minutes continuously to get to and from places. Twenty two 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 four 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 five 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 three 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 1.3 hours per day.

Summary

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

Medical Conditions

Two percent of people 16 years and older have ever been told by a doctor or other health care professional that they had psoriasis. Thirty four percent are overweight. Eight percent of people living in Harding-Birch Lakes have ever received a blood transfusion. Twenty three percent have trouble seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses. Thirty seven percent of people 20 and older have arthritis. Two percent have ever been told they had gout. Four percent have coronary heart disease. Eight percent have ever had a heart attack, also called myocardial infarction. Four percent have been ever told by a doctor or other health professional that they had a stroke. Four percent have ever had emphysema. Three percent of people had any kind of liver condition.

Summary

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

Current Health Status

People living in Harding-Birch Lakes report their general health condition on average at 53 percent. Eight percent of them donate blood. Excluding tests they have had as part of blood donations, 43 percent of Harding-Birch Lakes residents have ever had their blood tested for the AIDS virus infection. Thirteen percent of people living in Harding-Birch Lakes are left-handed.

Summary

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

Consumer Behavior

People in Harding-Birch Lakes spend $374 per month on average on food for their families at supermarkets or grocery stores. This is 14 percent of their income. The average family in Harding-Birch Lakes spends $71 on food at other stores monthly. This is two percent of their income. They spend $173 on eating out, including cafeterias at work or at school or on vending machines. This is six percent of their income.

Summary

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

Audiometry

People living in Harding-Birch Lakes report their general condition of hearing on average at 84 percent. Seventy 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. Ninety three percent of people can hear a normal voice across a quiet room. Twenty percent of Harding-Birch Lakes population have been bothered by ringing, roaring or buzzing in their ears or head. Sixty nine 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. Twenty four percent of people in Harding-Birch Lakes 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 two percent of Harding-Birch Lakes 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

Thirteen percent of Harding-Birch Lakes residents 20 or older have limitations caused by a long-term physical, mental or emotional problems or illnesses keeping them from working at a job or business. Twenty six percent are limited in the kind or amount of work they can do because of physical, mental or emotional problems. Six percent have difficulty walking without using any special equipment. Eight percent are limited in any way because of difficulty remembering or because they experience periods of confusion.

Summary

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