County Benchmark Data for Wellness Initiatives
Benchmarking data can be a beneficial tool for gaining a better understanding of your employees’ risk factors and their health needs. This data is useful for designing a workplace wellness program that will better meet the needs of your employees and increase your return on investment.
County Benchmark Data
County benchmark data can be a valuable tool for learning about your employees’ health risks. If you assume that your employee population has the same general health risks, behaviors and habits as your county’s population, you can use benchmark data to shape your wellness initiatives.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers reliable health benchmark data broken down by county. The following are some of the health metrics provided for each county:
- Adult smoking
- Adult obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Excessive drinking
- Alcohol-impaired driving deaths
- Diabetes
- Mammography screening
- HIV prevalence
- Uninsured rates
- Access to exercise opportunities
Put it into Practice
Below is an example for applying these benchmarks to your own wellness initiatives. According to the CDC, 30 percent of adults in Madison County, Mississippi, are obese, which is higher than the national average.
So if your business is based in Madison County, Mississippi, and assuming the individuals analyzed by the CDC are representative of your employee group, you might presume that your employees (and their spouses and dependents) have a higher than average rate of obesity. Since obesity is a risk factor for many significant health problems like heart disease and strokes, you may want to implement wellness initiatives that encourage employees to eat healthier and exercise more.
To access the CDC county benchmarks, visit www.countyhealthrankings.org. Then, simply select your state and county to get started.
Want more information or need help applying county benchmark data to your company’s workplace wellness initiatives? Contact The Unland Companies today.
