The Holbrook City Council convened Oct. 12, during which the council received a presentation from Bill Ricci and Cathy Solomon with the Navajo County Public Health Services with a review of the recent community health assessment prepared by the department, as well as an improvement plan based on its findings. The assessment survey was completed by 2,393 residents and identified five priorities, which are social determinants of health, alcohol use, mental health, communicable disease and chronic diseases. The report is also available on the Navajo County website under Public Health Services.
Among the data presented, it was revealed that 27.5% of residents spend over half their income on rent and a significant number, 72.3%, have to travel beyond 40 miles for healthcare services. Additionally, 38.9% of residents had to forgo necessary healthcare within the previous year, primarily due to lack of funding or lack of providers.
Regarding income, it was noted that the average household income in Navajo County in 2021 was $46,236 compared to the rest of the state, which is $65,913 and the national average of $70,784. Tied to that is the issue of food insecurity, with 16.7% of residents experiencing food insecurity, as opposed to 10% statewide.
Solomon reported that in Navajo County a family with one income and three children, would need to earn $55.63 per hour in order to earn a living wage. If that same household has two people working, they would each need to make $28.13 per hour. A single adult with no children, would need to earn $15.79 per hour, although the state minimum wage is $13.85.
Another concern in the county the battle against opioid use. In 2022, the opioid fatality rate was 27.8 per 100,000 individuals in the county, with the state average being 26.5 per 100,000. Non-fatal overdoses were 47.3 with Arizona at 46.8.
Regarding mental health, 42.8% of the respondents reported experiencing or being affected by anxiety or depression. The number one social concern noted by Navajo County residents across all ages and demographics was loneliness. Those seeking help for those conditions will find it challenging in Navajo County. In Arizona there is one mental health care provider for 1,314 individuals, but in Navajo County, there is one for 2,806.
According to Solomon, an effort will be made to include more opportunities for telehealth services to address those issues.
Navajo County also has a high rate of sexually transmitted disease (STD) with 990 per 100,000 population while statewide the rate is 822. Solomon noted that the greatest concern is among women of childbearing age who may pass the disease onto their newborn children, resulting in potential stillborn births, deformities and other disabilities. In Navajo County, the rate congenital syphilis is 886 per 100,000, compared to the state average of 150 and a national average of 57.
In all 15 counties in Arizona, Navajo County is ranked number one for STDs and number one for syphilis. “A lot of it is lack of understand, a lot of it is a lack of testing and a lot of it is that people just don’t know,” stated Solomon, adding that living in a conservative area makes it challenging to get STD related information out to the public.
The number one health concern noted by respondents is obesity or being overweight, followed by heart disease, chronic pain, diabetes and autoimmune disease.
Ricci stated that Navajo County Public Health Services is taking a proactive approach to these concerns. “Our next step is that we’re going to work with chairs and co-chairs for work groups in each one of these issues and try to come up with a plan. (We will) launch initiatives so that we can get out and make some positive changes to some of these crazy numbers that are so off the charts compared to the rest of the country and the counties in Arizona.” Initiatives will be introduced beginning in January.
