Data and Surveillance
Historically, people with disabilities have not been recognized as a distinct population and there has been limited data on the health status and health-related needs experienced by this population. Information on trends in disability is critical for monitoring the health and well-being of the population. Since data serves as the foundation for public health action, the NCODH is committed to continuing and expanding surveillance and intervention activities that increase the capacity of the State to address health access, health promotion, and preventive care needs for persons with disabilities. The office also participates actively in State efforts to identify and eliminate health disparities and to promote health parity.
NCODH Data & Surveillance Activities:
A fact sheet based on Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program (CHAMP) data reporting on Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) is now available at http://www.schs.state.nc.us/SCHS/champ/publications.html.
Prevalence rates for CSHCN are presented in the following areas:
- Health Status
- Health Care Access and Utilization
- Birth Characteristics
- Parental Concerns about Early Development
- School Performance
For further information about NC CHAMP, please visit http://www.schs.state.nc.us/SCHS/champ.
2009 North Carolina Women's Health Report Card- The 2009 North Carolina Women's Health Report Card is a comprehensive summary of the state of women's health in North Carolina. The 2009 report includes an insert on the health status of women with disabilities in North Carolina. This insert on Women with Disabilities in North Carolina highlights the many needs of women with disabilities and can guide our efforts to address the health disparities that exist between women with and without disabilities.
Partners include the NC Department of Health and Human Services, State Center for Health Statistics, NC Area Health Education Centers Program, NC Obstetrical & Gynecological Society, UNC Healthcare, UNC-CH School of Medicine, UNC-CH School of Public Health, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, and the Center for Women's Health Research at UNC and corporate sponsors AT&T and Talecris Biotherapeutics.
Read the 2009 Report in English
Read the 2009 Report in Spanish
Visit Center for Women's Health Research for additional resources.
North Carolina Core Indicators Project - North Carolina is one of 26 states involved in the National Core Indicators (NCI) program. NCI provides surveys that help each state to see how programs serving people with developmental disabilities (DD) are doing. North Carolina uses four NCI surveys to look at the DD service system. This brochure has 3 sample results for health, safety, and choice and decision-making. To see a complete copy of the NCI reports, visit the HSRI website http://www.hsri.org/nci/. Download PDF
Health and Disability in North Carolina 2003- The North Carolina Office on Disability and Health (NCODH) is pleased to announce the publication of the “Health and Disability in North Carolina 2003: A joint report from the North Carolina Office on Disability and Health and the State Center for Health Statistics”. This publication presents highlights of what is currently known about the health status, health risks, and health-related experiences of people with disabilities in North Carolina. It is based on a compilation of data from the 2000 Census, the NC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS), the NC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the Core Indicators Project (NCCIP). These data sources identify population health disparities and can serve as the basis for targeting public health interventions and health improvements for North Carolina. and pneumonia immunizations. Download PDF
NC Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) - The BRFSS is a random telephone survey of adults that collects information about health status, health behaviors, and use of health services in North Carolina and the United States. The State Center for Health Statistics in collaboration with the NCODH integrated disability questions to this annual state telephone survey, to obtain more accurate data on the number of people in North Carolina who report having a disability or activity limitation and to quantify their health practices. As a result of the BRFSS analyses, the State has been able to publish NC specific, population-based estimates of activity limitation/disability in adults as well as capture valid information on the health behaviors and health disparities of adults with disabilities. The State Center for Health Statistics in conjunction with NCODH developed and disseminated the publication Health Risks Among North Carolina Adults, 1999 (read online). This report contains a special section on disability and includes disability as a demographic within all other sections of the report.
Core Indicators Project - Health of adults with developmental disabilities is not captured by the BRFSS because most of these adults do not have the opportunity to respond to telephone surveys. In order to gather state-level surveillance data on the health conditions, risk factors, and access to health care of adults with intellectual disabilities and other developmental disabilities, a questionaire was incorporated into a survey that is conducted by the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse - the Core Indicators Project. The survey uses face to face interviews with adults with developmental disabilities residing in the community and mental retardation centers. Findings are reported from two consecutive years of surveillance (2000-2001 and 2001-2002) in a report, Health Indicators 2000-2001, a Part of the Core Indicators Project (Download Word Doc). Data from subsequent years is currently being analyzed.
NC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS) - The YRBSS monitors six categories of priority health-risk behaviors among youth and young adults that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence. The NCODH participated in a state committee to redesign the YRBSS resulting in the inclusion of three disability screening questions in the 2001 NC YRBSS. These questions are modified versions of the disability screening questions utilized in the NC BRFSS. It is expected that the NC YRBSS will include the disability screening questions annually, thus providing annual health and risk behavior on teens with disabilities. (read results of the 2001 YRBSS)
The Early Childhood-School Linked Data Set - This study examined risk factors associated with placement in special education in the first grade, using linked administrative data (birth records, child service coordination data and records of children enrolled in first grade). The results demonstrated that by considering both environmental/familial and child-level factors, we can better ensure that at-risk children are identified and referred for early intervention services. (Download PDF)
Spina Bifida Longitudinal Study - The NCODH conducted a longitudinal study of children, adolescents, and adults with spina bifida and their families. This study documents the preventable consequences of spina bifida, known as secondary conditions, and the factors which could prevent secondary conditions and promote quality of life. Summary of the study findings can be found in the report: Growing Up with Spina Bifida (Download PDF or read online). Also available en espanol. Download PDF (172kb) or read online.
Analysis of Medicare Claims Data - Medical Review of North Carolina analyzed the preventive service use of Medicare enrollees in NC and produced a report of their findings for NCODH. Preventive Service Use of North Carolina Medicare Enrollees with Disabilities describes the population with disabilities in the year 2000 and examines their use of preventive services including breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, colorectal cancer screening, flu immunizations and pneumonia immunizations. (Download PDF)
A Special Report Series by the State Center for Health Statistics
Children Who Are Medically Fragile in North Carolina: Prevalence
and Medical Care Costs in 2002. February 2005.Download PDF (58KB)
