Central Oregon Health Council :: Measures for Upstream Prevention: The Promotion of Individual Well-Being

Why are these measures important?

Please see the information below, describing the measures being tracked for this priority area, and why they are important.

Learn more about this topic and others through funded pilots and projects on the "What We're Learning" page.

Recognizing Letters of the Alphabet Among Kindergarteners

Decades of research in neurobiology underscores the importance of children’s experiences in laying the foundation for their growing brains.
The quality of early experiences shapes brain development which impacts future social, cognitive, and emotional competence, and ultimately school and career success.
This research points to the value of parental involvement during a child’s early years, access to family support, and high-quality early care and education programs.
These supports provided early in a child’s life can improve outcomes, particularly in families that face challenges such as teen or single parenthood, maternal depression, and a lack of social and financial supports (Harvard University, 2015).
Key indicators for early school success are letter recognition measured at Kindergarten Readiness Assessment and third-grade reading proficiency.
In Central Oregon, early literacy (letter recognition) had a decreasing trend from 2016 to 2018 (RHA, 2019, Table 34).
Letter recognition across Central Oregon mirrors the state average at slightly over 14 (of 26 possible) per child.
The results vary widely for children from marginalized populations with average scores of 7.4 and 7.8 for Hispanic/Latino children in Jefferson and Crook Counties and 7.7 for Native American children in Jefferson County (Oregon Department of Education, 2019)

In Central Oregon, we are seeing the following for kindergarten readiness:

Total Population:

In Crook County, the average number of letters recognized by students at kindergarten is 13, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 15.8.
In Deschutes County, the average number of letters recognized by students at kindergarten is 15, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 17.5.
In Jefferson County, the average number of letters recognized by students at kindergarten is 7, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 13.2.

Economically Disadvantaged: Kindergarten Readiness

Economically Disadvantaged:

In Crook County, the average number of letters recognized by students at kindergarten is 12, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 14.3.
In Deschutes County, the average number of letters recognized by students at kindergarten is 12, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 14.6.
In Jefferson County, the average number of letters recognized by students at kindergarten is 9, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 11.3.

Underserved Races: Kindergarten Readiness

Underserved Races:

In Crook County, the average number of letters recognized by students at kindergarten is 10, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 12.8.
In Deschutes County, the average number of letters recognized by students at kindergarten is 10, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 16.6.
In Jefferson County, the average number of letters recognized by students at kindergarten is 6, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 11.1.

In Central Oregon, we are seeing the following for third-grade reading proficiency:

Total Population:

In Crook County, 49.6% of third-grade students are proficient in reading, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 54.5%.
In Deschutes County, 52.4% of third-grade students are proficient in reading, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 67.5%.
In Jefferson County, 36.9% of third-grade students are proficient in reading, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 47.5%.

Economically Disadvantaged: 3rd Grade Reading

Economically Disadvantaged:

In Crook County, 44.1% of third-grade students are proficient in reading, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 51.0%%.
In Deschutes County, 45.3% of third-grade students are proficient in reading, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 52.0%.
In Jefferson County, 42.8% of third-grade students are proficient in reading, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 49.5%.

Underserved Races: 3rd Grade Reading

Underserved Races:

In Crook County, 28.6% of third-grade students are proficient in reading, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 33.5%.
In Deschutes County, 40.6% of third-grade students are proficient in reading, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 47.0%.
In Jefferson County, 35.4% of third-grade students are proficient in reading, and the 2020-2024 RHIP target is increasing this to 40.5%.

Pregnancies That Are Planned

Unintended pregnancy refers to pregnancies that are mistimed, unplanned, or unwanted.
About 51% of pregnancies in the United States are unintended (Guttmacher Institute, 2015).
Measuring rates of unintended pregnancy helps gauge a population's needs for contraception and family planning.
Unintended pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of health problems for the baby as the mother may not in good health or delay prenatal care only after learning of the pregnancy (CDC, 2019).
Almost 50% of pregnancies in Oregon are unintended and have been for more than three decades (Sonfield et al., 2011).

In Central Oregon, we are seeing the following:

The percentage of pregnancies that are planned is 56.8%, and the target in the 2020-2024 RHIP is keeping this percentage at or above 56%.

Vaccines Among Children

Immunizations are a key public health measure for preventing the spread of disease.
Up-to-date immunization rates for two-year-olds have been increasing in Central Oregon over the past years, and there are opportunities for improvement in childhood, adolescent, and adult immunization rates.
Two-year-old immunization rates have increased over the past three years in all three Central Oregon counties (RHA, 2019, p.88, Figure 70).
For adolescents, Jefferson County has higher immunization rates for Tdap, meningococcal, HPV, and influenza, than Crook, Deschutes, and Oregon overall.
Across all three Central Oregon counties, less than 25% of all adolescents received a flu vaccine during the 2016-2017 flu season (RHA, 2019, p.89, Figure 72).

In Central Oregon, we are seeing the following:

In Crook County, the two-year-old up-to-date immunization rate is 68%, and the target in the 2020-2024 RHIP is increasing this to 80%.
In Deschutes County, the two-year-old up-to-date immunization rate is 68%, and the target in the 2020-2024 RHIP is increasing this to 80%.
In Jefferson County, the two-year-old up-to-date immunization rate is 65%, and the target in the 2020-2024 RHIP is increasing this to 80%.

Measuring A Sense of Belonging

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have long-lasting adverse effects on people and are associated with poor health outcomes.
As the understanding of the long-term social and health impacts of trauma grows, trauma-informed care practices, policies, and resources will continue to grow and develop to respectfully and compassionately support the needs of people in our communities (CDC, 2019).
Discrimination and racism impact all aspects of a person’s health and well-being and intersect with all major systems of society, such as education, governing/political, law enforcement, health care, and others.
The impacts of discrimination and racism are deep-rooted and multi-generational.
These include health and education inequity, collective historical trauma, toxic stress, and lack of representation.
The health and well-being of a child begin far before a child is born.
It begins generations earlier and is shaped by ancestral experiences (HealthyPeople, 2019).
In Central Oregon, there is no identified measure to track individuals and their sense of belonging to their community.
By December 2024, a measure will be established across the region to assess a sense of belonging.
Once established, this measure will increase 10% from the initial data collected throughout Central Oregon among individuals across the lifespan.