Beginning February 20, 2023, Durham County staff in partnership with the Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH), Partnership for a Healthy Durham and Duke Health will go to local community events and locations in the county to ask questions about the community’s health. These survey responses are collected and will be shared in the upcoming 2023 Durham County Community Health Assessment. This information helps public and elected officials best identify, address, and strengthen key health issues of the community. The survey covers health and wellbeing, community strengths, areas for improvement, and much more. DCoDPH staff are obtaining information directly from Durham County residents about what they love about their community, areas for improvement, and how they feel their health is affected by their community.

 

In the fall of 2022, the full-county Community Health Assessment survey was conducted using volunteers who went door-to-door in randomly selected neighborhoods. All county residents were eligible to participate in the survey if they were 18 years or older and live at the selected residence. More than 200 surveys were completed by November 2022 and results are currently being analyzed.

This winter, Durham County is conducting an additional survey, the Comunidad Latina Community Health Assessment. The questions are very similar on both surveys with the addition of more culturally appropriate questions on the Comunidad Latina survey. To be eligible to take this survey, individuals must be 18 or older and of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Additionally, if a person is interested in taking the survey and meets the requirements but does not have time during the event, they will be offered a flyer with a QR code and information on the survey that they can use to complete the survey online at their own convenience. This survey will help better serve the Hispanic and Latino community in Durham County, which makes up 14% of the county’s population.

There will be tables or booths set up at local community events and locations such as churches, schools, community outreach events and more. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and will be conducted in English or Spanish. All participants completing the survey will receive a thank-you gift. Questions asked on this survey will aim to identify the most important community and health problems in the county, access to healthcare, physical activity, nutrition, tobacco, emergency preparedness, housing and personal demographics. All data collected in this survey are anonymous and will not be linked to any individual and there are no right or wrong answers. To ensure the safety of residents, DCoDPH staff will be in uniform, wearing identical blue t-shirts and name badges.

These surveys are the first step in the 2023 Community Health Assessment. In addition to the survey, local, state, and national data will be collected on the leading causes of death, incidence of diseases, current health priorities, and participation in healthy lifestyle behaviors, among many others. Durham County’s current health priorities include Affordable Housing, Access to Healthcare, Mental Health, Poverty, and Obesity, Diabetes and Food Access. A comprehensive report detailing the new findings will be released to the community in spring 2024.

To view the 2020 Community Health Assessment document or executive summary, visitwww.healthydurham.orgor contact Savannah Carrico, Epidemiologist, Durham County Department of Public Health at 919-251-1578 or scarrico@dconc.gov. Savannah can answer any questions you may have regarding the survey.