COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Community Health Partners released its survey of Branch County residents Wednesday as part of a community health assessment process. The partnership is composed of many public and private agencies that make up the public health system in Branch County.
The group worked with the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio and researchers at the University of Toledo to conduct the survey of randomly selected Branch County residents.
Britney Ward from the Hospital Council says people who responded to the survey remain anonymous.
The survey asked participants to answer questions about general health, risk and protective health factors, and access to health care.
A total of 362 surveys were filled out which accounted for a response rate of 26 percent and a margin of error of about five percent.
The survey found that 72 percent of Branch County adults visited a doctor for a routine checkup over the last year with 62 percent going outside of the county for their health care.
In addition, 51 percent of adults got a flu vaccine over the last year.
The survey results also showed that 79 percent of Branch County adults were either overweight or obese which was the second highest of the counties surveyed.
Sixteen percent of the respondents said they smoked with 59 percent from that group stating they tried to quit the habit.
