ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY Age adjusted death rate per 100,000
BUENA VISTA CITY Age adjusted death rate per 100,000
All Deaths: 630.9 per 100,000
All Deaths: 884.9 per 100,000
1. Malignant Neoplasms 2. Heart Disease 3. Cerebrovascular Disease 4. Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease 5. Unintentional Injury 6. Nephritis and Nephrosis 7. Parkinson's Disease 8. Diabetes Mellitus 9. Chronic Liver Disease 10. Alzheimer's Disease
158.8 148.9 51.5 29.8 21.1 20.5 17.2 15.4 11.5 11.1
1. Malignant Neoplasms 2. Heart Disease 3. Unintentional Injury 4. Cerebrovascular Disease 5. Diabetes Mellitus 6. Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases 7. Chronic Liver Disease 8. Septicemia 9. Suicide 10. Influenza and Pneumonia
310.5 76.2 70.5 66.8 65.2 63.1 21.7 16.1 16.1 14.1
Diabetes is a disease that can be prevented and/or managed by nutrition and physical activity. The death rate for diabetes is 65.2 in Buena Vista compared to 22.0 in Lexington, 15.4 in Rockbridge County and 18.7 in Virginia. “Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases” are commonly related to a history of smoking. The death rate for these preventable diseases is approximately twice as high in Buena Vista (63.1) than in Lexington (36.1), Rockbridge County (29.8), and Virginia (37.9). Similarly, the death rate for “Chronic Liver Disease,” often linked to alcoholism, is higher in Buena Vista (21.7) than in Lexington (14.1), Rockbridge County (11.5), and Virginia (7.8). In contrast, death rates attributed to heart disease are significantly lowering Buena Vista (76.2) compared to Lexington (209.4), Rockbridge County (148.9), and Virginia (167.6). BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTORS
Good nutrition, physical activity, and a healthy body weight are essential parts of a person’s overall health and well-being. Together, these can help decrease a person’s risk of developing serious health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. ~Healthy People 2020
Rockbridge County’s residents are not immune to the behavioral risks factors that plague many rural communities across the nation. The most concerning are those risks affecting local children. Patterns of behavior developed in childhood tend to extend into adulthood and can have serious effects on the health of both individuals and communities. A significant number of children in Rockbridge County engage in behavior that puts them at risk for serious health problems. Poor dietary choices and lack of physical activity are two behavioral risks for obesity. 26