Each year Texas A&M AgriLife is tasked with evaluating the overall health of all 254 counties in Texas. Terry County’s Family & Community Health Agent Anne Millican has given the evaluation of the overall health of Terry County.
Beginning with quality of life, Terry County has a population of 11,567. Of this population, 27% of adults report being in fair or poor health which is higher than the State of Texas sitting at 16%, and the US at 12%. When it comes to frequent mental distress, Terry County shows 17% of adults have this outcome. This is higher compared to Texas with 13% and the US with 14%.
Other health outcomes such as cardiovascular deaths, diabetes prevalence, and premature deaths show to be higher than in Texas and the US. Total cardiovascular disease deaths per 10,000 population; include coronary heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, cardiac dysrhythmia, hypertension, and all strokes. Terry County averages 51.5 people per 10,000 in population who die from cardiovascular disease compared to 43.3 persons in Texas and 42.2 persons in the US. Those who have a prevalence in diabetes is 16% in Terry County, 12% in Texas, and 9% in the US. When it comes to premature death which is the years of potential life lost before age 75 per 10,000 population, Terry County has 1,120. Texas is lower at 700 and in the US it is 730.
Adult obesity, which is defined as the percentage of adults reporting a BMI over 30, Terry County sits at 42% compared to 36% in Texas and 32% in the US. The percentage of adults who currently smoke in Terry County is 22%, in Texas, it’s 13% and in the US it’s 16%. Terry County is a bit lower than Texas and the US in excessive drinking of alcohol at 18%, whereas Texas and the US are at 19%. When it comes to insufficient sleep, which is the percentage of adults who report fewer than 7 hours of sleep on average, Terry County is at 37% compared to both Texas and the US sitting at 33%.
Other health factors such as children in poverty, Terry County shows to be at 31%, and in Texas, it’s 20% and in the US it’s 17%. For the “Food Environment Index”, which is a scale from 0 (worst) to 10 (best), is based on the percentage of the population that is low-income and does not live close to a grocery store; and the percentage of the population that did not have access to a reliable source of food the past year. Terry County is 5.3 out of 10, Texas is 5.9 out of 10, and the US ranks better with 7 out of 10. In Terry County, 26% of the population is uninsured, whereas in Texas it’s 20% and in the US it’s 10%. Also the median household income in Terry County is $42,200 and is much less than Texas being $67,000 and in the US being $69,700.
Something else to note, 90% of the US $3.8 trillion healthcare expenditure is for people with largely preventable chronic diseases and mental health conditions. At least 7 of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. and Texas are chronic diseases. Most chronic diseases can be prevented by eating a nutritious diet, being physically active, which Terry County has 36% reporting no leasure-time of physical activity compered to Texas reporting 25% and the US reporting 22%. Also avoiding tobacco and excessive drinking, plus receiving regular health screenings. can help prevent chronic diseases.
