What does this measure?

The share of adults who report their perceived general health as "fair" or "poor" (as opposed to excellent, very good or good.

Why is this important?

Perceived health status is one indicator of the overall health status of the population. A higher share of adults who perceive themselves to be in fair or poor health status can be an indicator of poor overall health in the community.

How is our county performing?

In 2016-18, 21% of adults in Berks and Schuylkill counties reported that their health was fair or poor, above 18% for Pennsylvania and 17% for the nation. The rate has marked a slow but relatively consistent increase from 2011-13 to 2016-18. By contrast, the rates for the state and nation were relatively flat from 2011-13 to 2016-18.

Berks County's percentage of adults with lower perceived health in 2016-18 was larger than Montgomery (14%), Chester (12%), Lancaster (17%) and Lebanon, Dauphin (15%), but closer to Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton (19%).

Notes about the data

Data come from a federal government survey designed to collect scientific data on health risks and behaviors. The data reported are for moving three-year averages. Berks and Schuylkill county data is combined by the survey and reported together. Similarly, Dauphin and Lebanon counties and Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton counties are reported as groups of counties.

Beginning in 2011, the Centers for Disease Control made two changes to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System on which this indicator is based. The survey now includes cell-phone users, and a new statistical method is used to weight responses. As a result, changes from 2010 and years prior to 2011 and later may be a result of those technical changes rather than true trends.

There may be additional research available on this topic. Click on Reports and Resources to learn more.