Zooming in
The research, conducted in partnership with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and Rice University’s Kinder Institute, will “serve as a vital resource for Fort Bend County stakeholders, residents and cross sector community partners,” according to an Aug. 6 news release.
“Our academic health department model allows us to go beyond traditional public health boundaries,” Dr. Letosha Gale-Lowe, FBCHHS health director and local health authority, said in the release. “Through our partnership with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, we are able to collect and interpret data at a depth that informs real-time decision-making and sustainable interventions.”
Data is based on a representative sample of 3,440 responsive Fort Bend County residents, between November 2024 and January 2025. Nearly 85,000 invitations were mailed to randomly selected households across the county, according to the release.
By the numbers
Residents self-reported generally positive physical and mental health, with only 11% and 13% rating it as “poor or fair,” respectively, data shows. However, 56% of residents reported having a chronic medical condition, with hypertension and high cholesterol being most common.
Only 12% of residents reported having no health insurance, data shows. Of those residents, young adults and Hispanics were most likely to be uncovered, at 22% and 23%, respectively. Meanwhile, 41% of residents not always able to access health care said it was too expensive or they could not afford out-of-pocket costs.
Diving in deeper
Additionally, the study found that 73% of residents live in households with high or marginal food security, data shows. Of those affected, Black and Hispanic households struggled most, with 40% and 36% of households reporting they had low or very low food security.
Another note
While residents reported four days of “not good” mental health per month, only 49% of residents said they were always able to access mental health care, often due to financial barriers, the report said.
“Broader efforts to support healthy living and manage stress could improve physical and mental health, ultimately promoting well-being,” the report said.
