Running head: WALNUTPORT DATA COLLECTION 1

Walnutport Data Collection

Kathy Carte, Madison Pleasants, Megan Sorensen

Cedar Crest College

WALNUTPORT DATA COLLECTION 2

Data Collection Paper

Biophysical

Table 1

Mortality Rates (Causes of Death) Shown in Percentages

Mortality Rates Walnutport Northampton County

Heart Disease 30 22.3

Malignant Neoplasms 30 22.3

Cerebrovascular Disease 5 4.6

Chronic Lower Respiratory 5 5.1

Disease

Diabetes Mellitus 5 4.0

Influenza & Pneumonia 5 2.0

Septicemia 5 1.3

Alzheimers Disease 5 2.9

All Other Causes 10 35.5

Source: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania- Department of Health Division of Health Informatics

2015

Table 2

Morbidity Rates (Reportable Diseases, Cancer, Obesity, etc.) Shown in Percentages

Morbidity Rates Walnutport Northampton County

Heart Disease No data 155.6

Cancer No data 167.6

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Chronic Lower Respiratory No data 27.7

Disorders

Stroke No data 28.5

Accidents No data 35.2

Diabetes No data 19.9

Alzheimers No data 12.9

Nephritis No data 10.9

Influenza No data 10.9

Septicemia No data 10.9

Source: PA. Gov, Health Profile 2016

Morbidity rates for specific diseases or illness within Walnutport were unavailable for charting

or comparison.

Health Care

There is not an acute care hospital within the borough of Walnutport. Palmerton Hospital

is four miles away (Advameg, Inc., 2015). Palmerton Hospital is a general medical and surgical

hospital in Palmerton, PA with 67 beds (U.S. News & World Report, 2017). Located about nine

miles away, Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital is another acute care hospital in the area

(Advameg, Inc., 2015). Gnaden Huetten is a general medical and surgical hospital located in

Lehighton, PA with 183 beds (U.S. News & World Report, 2017). The cost of stay for either of

these acute care hospitals depends on many factors. Therefore, the affordability is unable to be

pre-determined. The accessibility, availability, and adequacy are appropriate for Walnutport

residents.
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The nearest home health service is Blue Mountain Home Health Care, which can be

found about nine miles away in Lehighton, PA (Advameg, Inc., 2015). This facility provides at-

home skilled nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social

services, pediatric care services, home health aide services, and private duty nursing (Blue

Mountain Health Care, 2012). Seeing as these services provide medical care within the

individuals home, the accessibility is optimal for those who are not mobile. The extensive

services offered by Blue Mountain Health Care allow it to be adequate for the residents of

Walnutport. The costs of these services are covered by Medicare, private insurances, or self-pay.

The specific self-pay cost was not listed on the companys website.

The nearest nursing home is called Fellowship Manor and is located about nine miles

away (Advameg, Inc., 2015). Fellowship Manor is a multi-dimensional residential living facility

that offers independent living, personal care, specialized memory care, short term rehabilitation,

and skilled nursing (Fellowship Manor, 2017). The cost of living within this facility varies

depending on the services required and the room. Like Blue Mountain Home Health Care, this

nursing home provides exceptional medical services that may be utilized by a variety of

Walnutport residents. The difference between these two services is the location. The residents

can choose to receive care at home from Blue Mountain, if applicable, or establish a permanent

residence at Fellowship Manor. These choices provide flexibility to meet the needs of the

families who reside in Walnutport.

The nearest dialysis facility is called Fresenius Medical Care. This facility is about ten

miles away, located in Whitehall, PA (Advameg, Inc., 2015). This facility offers in-center

hemodialysis and at-home peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis (Fresenius Medical Care, 2016).

The accessibility of this facility is versatile, considering the patient may choose to receive
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hemodialysis from the facility itself or from the comfort of their own home. The cost of

hemodialysis at this facility is adjustable, depending on coverage from Medicare or private

insurance.

Health Behaviors

According to Livability (2017), Walnutport, PA is ranked number eight for healthy

behaviors in Northampton County. In Walnutport, 83% of the population does not use tobacco

(Livability, 2017). Per Advameg, Inc., 2015, 11.2% of the population reports not drinking

alcohol at all. The remaining 88.8% of individuals admit to drinking alcohol, but the information

regarding amount of drinks was not obtainable. There was not obvious drinking establishments

observed throughout completion of the windshield survey. Substance abuse information

available for Walnutport is scarce. In the year 2015, there were 71 drug-related deaths in

Northampton County, 30% of these being opioid related (Pennsylvania State Coroners

Association, 2015). There is a substance abuse rehabilitation center in Walnutport, Christian

Drug Detox Center, which was observed in the windshield survey.

The windshield survey revealed individuals and families engaging in physical activity at

the public park in Walnutport. 74% of adults report leisure time physical activity (Livability,

2017). The average BMI is 29.1 (Advameg, Inc., 2015). According to Trip Advisor (2017), some

of the top ranked food establishments in Walnutport include Italian restaurants, various pizzerias,

ice cream parlor, and fast food restaurants like Burger King, McDonalds, and Dunkin Donuts.

The diet and nutritional habits of the population of Walnutport cannot be viewed as optimal or

ideal, considering the types of food offered at these top-ranked favorites. Residents of

Walnutport can obtain health screenings at the St. Lukes Family Practice located just off Main
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Street in Walnutport. St. Luke's is the leading provider of primary and specialty care for the

families in the greater Lehigh Valley (St. Lukes, 2017).

Demographics

Table 3

Age Shown in Percentages

Age (in years) Walnutport Northampton County

0-9 9.84 10.26

10-19 10.86 13.01

20-29 11.44 12.75

30-39 13.48 11.39

40-49 11.92 12.64

50-59 14.83 14.86

60-64 6.4 6.68

65+ 21.23 18.41

Source: PA Department of Community & Economic Development, 2017

Table 4

Gender Shown in Percentages

Gender Walnutport Northampton County

Male 48.38 49.10

Female 51.62 50.90

Source: PA Department of Community & Economic Development 2017

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Table 5

Race/Ethnicity Shown in Percentages

Race/Ethnicity Walnutport Northampton County

White (non-Hispanic) 92 81.0

Black (non-Hispanic) 1.36 4.4

American Indian 0.15 No Data

Asian 1.11 2.4

Pacific Islander 0.05 No Data

Multiracial 1.31 1.4

Hispanic 4.02 11.7

Source: PA Department of Community & Economic Development, 2016

Social Environment

Table 6

Religion Shown in Percentages

Religion Walnutport Northampton County

Catholic 27.4 27.4

Mainline Protestant 18.2 18.2

Evangelical Protestant 6.0 6.0

Black Protestant 0.1 0.1

Orthodox 0.7 0.7

Other 0.9 0.9

None 47.7 47.7

Source: Advameg Inc. 2015 & PA Dept. of Community and Economic Development 2016
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The percentage of religious affiliations for Walnutport Bureau is based on Northampton

County data collection obtained in multiple data collection sites. No specific breakdown of

affiliations can be found for the bureau of Walnutport. Catholic is considered the predominant

affiliation at 27.4% with Mainline Protestant population being the second most common at

18.2%. Churches observed in the community during the observational survey included these top

two religious affiliations.

The breakdown of individual worship sites is based on Northampton County data bases.

Northampton County possess 26 congregations that practice Catholic faith, 120 Protestant, 83

Evangelical Protestant, 5 Orthodox, 2 Black Protestant, and 19 affiliations that are considered as

Other (Advameg, Inc., 2015).

Table 7

Occupation Shown in Percentages

Occupation Walnutport Northampton County

Blue Collar 38 35

White Collar 61 64

Source: PA Department of Community & Economic Development 2017

Walnutport has 118 various business establishments throughout the community which

employ a total of workforce of 1,153. Leading industries include healthcare, personal, and social

services. The unemployment rate is 7.7% in the borough compared to Northampton counties

4.8%. The most common held position in the employment population is within office and

administrative support at 16.64%. Sales positions are also very prominent at 16.49%. Food

preparation and service positions amount to 11.78%. Personal care such as hairdresser/barber

total 5.15% of the employees in Walnutport. The number of people employed in blue collar
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jobs is 38%, which is similar to the percentage of blue collar workers in Northampton County

(PA Department of Community and Economic Development, 2015).

Northampton County labor-force consists of 11,342 businesses with 158,709 employees.

The most common employment positions held in 2015 in percentages are office administration

and sales at 14.58% and 12.88%, respectively. Management positions account for 10% of the

workforce. Educational, training, and library positions are listed under the occupation status

statistics for the county and include 7.11% of the population who work. Material moving

occupations are 8%, transportation employment is 7%, and manufacturing is 18% (Advameg,

Inc., 2015). The percentage of employees who reside in the county is 54.5%. In addition, there

are various types of workers. 73% of workers are self-employed or have a private-wage/salary,

6% work for the government, and 21% are self-employed not incorporated (Advameg, Inc.,

2015).

Table 8

Immigrant/Migrant Status Shown in Percentages

Place of Birth Walnutport

Born in Pennsylvania 84.83

Born in Different State 13.71

Foreign Born with U.S. Citizenship 0.73

Foreign Born without U.S. Citizenship 0.39

Born in Europe 0.20

Born in Asia 0.29

Born in Latin America 0.39

Born in Northern America 0.24

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Source: World Media Group 2017

During completion of the windshield survey, personal and public forms of transportation

were observed. Public transportation is utilized by 0.7% of the population, whereas 90.6% of the

population operates a car, truck van, or motorcycle as the primary mode of transportation

(Epodunk, 2007). The types of personal automobiles observed were mostly sedan style cars. The

age of the cars is not easily determinable by observation. Although, it was observed that a

majority of the cars were not in brand new condition.

Table 9

Languages Shown in Percentages

Languages Walnutport Northampton County

English 96.76 92.36

Spanish 2.13 6.76

Other Western Germanic 0.79 No Data

German 0.32 0.4

Other Indic No Data 0.48

Source: Data USA 2015

Table 10

Educational Attainment Shown in Percentages

Educational Attainment Walnutport Northampton County

< Grade 9 7.04 3.5

Grade 9- Grade 12, no 13.56 6.8

diploma
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High School Diploma or 45.19 35.3

equivalent

Some college 17.30 18.5

Associates Degree 9.30 8.8

Bachelors Degree 4.58 11.2

Graduate Degree 3.03 10.0

Source: Census Bureau 2010 & PA DCED 2016

Table 11

Income Shown in Percentages

Income Walnutport Northampton County

Median Household Income $64,310 $62,436

Source: Data USA 2015 & PA DCED 2016

Table 12

Unemployment Rates Shown in Percentages

Unemployment Rates Walnutport Northampton County

Total Employed Residence 7.7 5.4

Source: Data USA 2015 & FRED 2017

Table 13

Poverty Rates Shown in Percentages

Poverty Rates Walnutport Northampton County

Income Below Poverty Level 7.3 8.2

Income Below 50% of the 3.2 3.1

Poverty Level
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Disabled Men Below Poverty 23.7 3.6

Level

Disabled Women Below 21.3 10.4

Poverty Level

Source: City-Data 2015 & Data USA 2015

Table 14

Crime Rates Shown in Percentages

Crime Rates Walnutport Northampton County

Theft 0.15 3.0

Burglaries 0.05 0.25

Sex Offenders 0.15 0.07

Crime Index 9.3 31

Source: City-Data 2015

Data regarding crime rates within Northampton County was difficult to obtain. The

information for Walnutport was available, but scarce. By comparing the crime index, Walnutport

is much safer overall than Northampton County, where there are more violent crimes than thefts

or burglaries. It should be noted though that the ratio of sex offenders currently living in

Walnutport is more than twice that living in Northampton County.

Table 15

Family Structure/Composition Shown in Percentages

Family Structure/Composition Walnutport Northampton County

Total Family Households 71.3 84.5

Those with children under 18 27.1 28.9

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Husband-Wife Household 53.0 21.1

Those with children under 18 17.5 15.7

Male Household 5.1 19.9

Those with children under 18 2.1 0.99

Female Household 13.2 7.3

Those with children under 18 7.5 3.3

Non-Family Household 28.7 12.3

Those living alone 21.2 9.9

Source: U.S. Census 2010

Physical Environment

According to the most recent demographic data available from the Census Bureau (2017),

Walnutport shows a population density of 2,810 per square mile. The bureaus population

density is the second highest when compared to the surrounding townships. The population

growth over the last 5 years has increased by 4%. The bureau also possesses the highest

percentage (14.7%) of people ages 30-39 years of age than surrounding neighborhoods

(Towncharts, 2017). Walnutport also has one of the largest proportions of people ages 60-69 at

13.2% (Towncharts, 2017).

According to data collected in December 2016, Northampton County has 299,616 people

and ranks third for population density when compared to other counties in the area, such as

Lehigh. Bucks County holds the title of most densely populated with over 600,000 and is twice

the size of Northampton County. The population density for Northampton County is 810 people

per square mile (Towncharts, 2017).

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Table 16

Housing Shown in Percentages

Housing Walnutport Northampton County

Occupied Houses 93.66 93.3

Vacant Houses 6.34 6.7

Houses Built 2000 or Later 8.37 13.6

Houses Built 1960-1999 43.07 42.3

Houses Built 1959 or Earlier 48.56 44.1

Monthly Housing Cost Below 15.46 40.7

$1,000

Monthly Housing Cost 68.62 41.7

Between $1,000 and $1,999

Monthly Housing Cost 15.93 17.6

Above $1,999

Source: U.S. Census 2010 & USA.com 2017

Like many of surrounding towns, Walnutport is at risk for natural disasters such as

hurricanes, floods, tropical and winter storms, tornadoes, and radon. Advameg, Inc. (2015) stated

that the total number of natural disasters of Northampton County is six above that of the national

average. In 2015, Walnutport had five hurricanes, four floods, and six tropical and/or winter

storms. Although there has not been a tornado since 1989, many sources stated that the great

number prior to that date continues to put the town at risk. The tornado index of Walnutport and

Pennsylvania is 127.55 and 109.77, respectively (World Media Group, LLC, 2017). Homefacts

(2017) used five factors to determine potential high radon levels including indoor radon
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measurements, geology, aerial radioactivity, soil permeability, and foundation type. The data for

radon is completed per county. Northampton County falls under Zone 1, or the highest potential

risk given the predicted average indoor radon screening greater than 4 pCi/L. Extreme

temperature often becomes an issue for the people and infrastructure of Walnutport. In 2015, the

boroughs lowest average temperature was 12 degrees Fahrenheit while the highest average

temperature was 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sperlings BestPlaces (2017) described the air quality of Walnutport and Northampton

County. The criteria include risk of getting cancer, risk of getting respiratory disease, air quality,

and water quality. These criteria are noted in an index form with 100 representing the lowest risk

of disease or best quality, respectively. In addition, the data for the water quality was gathered

from the local watershed opposed to directly from faucets. The risk of acquiring cancer related to

air quality is 43.2 in Walnutport, PA and 45 in Northampton County, PA. The risk of acquiring

respiratory disease related to air quality is 61 in Walnutport, PA and 55.6 in Northampton

County, PA. Overall, the air quality of Walnutport, PA was 52.1 while the water quality was 53.

To compare, the air and water quality of Northampton County was 50.3 and 53, respectively.

Initiatives such as 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, known as Capability

Enhancement in Pennsylvania, is aimed at assisting water systems that serve fewer than 10,000

people operate different capabilities of the system (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2017).

Identified Community Problems

Thorough research has been completed for Walnutport, PA. Considering all aspects of

physical behaviors, social behaviors, and healthcare, two main problems areas have been

identified and are supported by sufficient data. The first problem area is lack of nutritional

resources related to limited grocery and fresh produce options as evidenced by deficient dietary
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habits. The second problem area is risk of disease related to environment as evidenced by

condition of air, water, and soil. These problem areas will be further addressed in the

Epidemiology paper.
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races.htm#PlaceofBirthandCitizenship
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