County Health Data

Burlington County ranks 11 out of 21 counties in New Jersey in 2017 for overall health of our residents. This page will give you a breakdown of useful health terms, our county’s health strengths, some ways to increase your own health, and areas in which our county can improve.

Health Terms

 

  1. Health Terms (PDF)

Cancer Rates and Ranks


Overall and Childhood Cancer Ranks

Burlington County has the 4thhighest incidence of all cancer types and of childhood cancers out of the 21 counties in New Jersey.

Burlington County’s Highest Incidences of Cancers




Esophageal Cancer:

Burlington County has the highest rate of esophageal cancer in New Jersey

Risk Factors for Esophageal Cancer:

  • Smoking
  • Drinking alcohol
  • Drinking very hot beverages frequently
  • Not eating enough fruits and vegetables
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Obesity
  • Bile reflux
  • Achalasia
  • Undergoing radiation treatment to the chest or upper abdomen

Breast and Cervical Cancer

  • Breast cancer incidence is ranked 5th in the state (females only).
  • It is extremely important for women starting at the age of 40 to go for mammograms
  • Burlington County is ranked 13th in the state for cervical cancer and has met the Healthy People 2020 objective for rates of cervical cancer (female only).
  • Although we have met the national goal for cervical cancer, it is still important to go for women to go to their gynecologist for annual checkups.

Prostate Cancer

Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer

  • Burlington County is ranked 2nd highest in the state for rates of kidney and renal pelvis cancer.
  • According to the American Cancer Society, there are many genetic and hereditary risk factors for kidney cancer which means these factors cannot be changed.

Health Behavior Risk Factors for Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer:

  • Smoking
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Exposure to substances like cadmium, some herbicides and trichloroethylene

(Age Adjusted) Mortality Rate from All Cancers

  • 181.5 per 100,000 people die of a cancer diagnosis.
  • Burlington County does not meet the Healthy People 2020 goal of 161.4 deaths per 100,000 people
  • Burlington County is below the US median of 185 deaths per 100,000.
  • Males have a higher mortality rate than females from cancer.
  • Males in Burlington County's death rates are below the national median (228.1 deaths per 100,000)
  • Female death rates are above the national median (154.7 deaths per 100,000) for cancer deaths per 100,000.
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Obesity

  • 28% of Burlington County adults are obese
  • 85% of the residents of Burlington County have access to exercise opportunities
  • Only 4% of Burlington County has limited access to healthy food
  • Burlington County’s obesity rate is 2% higher than the New Jersey average, slightly higher than the national average, and rising
  • If you are in the range of being overweight or obese and don’t know where or how to begin your weight loss journey, a good place to start is in your kitchen following the MyPlate dietary guidelines.
  • Make sure you are eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables per day and try to replace processed foods with fresh, natural, and nutrient dense foods.
  • Check out the USDA's physical activity guidelines to see how much physical activity you need per week depending on your age
  • Use the USDA's chart to see how many calories you can burn during different exercises
  • Stay positive!
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healthy living

Diabetes

  • 8.8% of Burlington County residents have Diabetes Mellitus, also known as Type 2 Diabetes.
  • Type 2 diabetes causes hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
  • When a person’s blood sugar is constantly elevated, the body cannot use insulin (the hormone which helps break down sugar in the blood) properly, and the body develops a resistance to insulin which leads to type 2 diabetes

Health Implications of Type 2 Diabetes

  • Kidney disease
  • Lower limb amputations
  • Acquired blindness
  • Premature death
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diabetes prevention

Adult Smoking

  • 13% of Burlington County adults smoke cigarettes
  • Although this number seems relatively low, we still need to work to lower this number because of the risks of lung cancer.
  • Burlington County has the 10th highest incidence of lung and bronchial cancer in the state
  • Smoking also increases the risks of second hand smoke and asthma that smoking creates
  • When you smoke cigarettes, you are not only effecting yourself, but the lives and lungs of the people around you
smoking

Alcohol and Drug Abuse


Top 5 Municipalities for Substance Abuse Admissions

  1. Burlington City
  2. Burlington Township
  3. Willingboro Township
  4. Pemberton Township
  5. Mount Holly Township

Reference (PDF)

Alcohol

  • 1 in 5 Burlington County residents reportedly drinks alcohol excessively which is much higher than both the state and national average for excessive drinking.
  • According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it is okay for women to have one drink per day and for men to have two drinks per day for their drinking habits to not be considered excessive.
  • Excessive drinking is split into two categories: binge drinking and heavy drinking.
  • To start reducing your alcohol intake, you can start by keeping track of how much you are drinking and only drinking with dinner.

Drugs

  • Heroine is the highest abused drug which Burlington County residents sought treatment for in 2015
  • Alcohol was the second highest

Reference (PDF)

If you or someone you care about needs help battling substance abuse, don’t hesitate to receive treatment.

alcohol

Sexually Transmitted Infections

  • Sexually transmitted infections in Burlington County have been on the rise over the past few years. The last reported number was 315 reported cases of chlamydia per 100,000 people.
  • Remember to use protection!
  • Condoms are the most effective way to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections after abstinence.

Chlamydia

  • It is the most common STI in the country
  • Chlamydia is a bacterial infection so it can be treated with antibiotics from your physician or a clinic

Symptoms of Chlamydia

  • Abnormal vaginal discharge and burning sensation when urinating in women
  • Discharge from the penis, a burning sensation when urinating, and pain and swelling in one or both testicles in men
  • As many as 80% of people who are infected with chlamydia are asymptomatic so it is extremely important to get tested regularly for STIs if you are sexually active.

Reference (PDF)

Long-Term Effects of Untreated Chlamydia

  • Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which can lead to sterility and an increased risk of ectopic pregnancies
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Maternal Health

  • 73.6% of expecting mothers receive early and consistent prenatal care (PNC)
  • PNC should start in the first trimester of pregnancy in order to increase the likelihood of giving birth to a healthy baby (New Jersey State Health Assessment Data).
  • Another way to insure a healthy baby is for women to increase their folic acid intake to 400mg per day to reduce the risk of newborns having spina bifida.

Infant Mortality Rate

maternal

Top 4 Health Areas Burlington County Needs to Improve

  1. Access to health care
  2. Mental and behavioral health/substance abuse
  3. Chronic health conditions (Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Cancer)
  4. Obesity/overweight

Reference (PDF)

Top Three Health Conditions in Burlington County

  1. Congestive Heart Failure
  2. Pneumonia
  3. Acute Myocardial Infarction (acute heart attack)

Reference (PDF)

Top Three Communities Experiencing the Most Health Disparities

  1. Beverly City (circled in yellow)
  2. Burlington City (circled in dark blue)
  3. Riverside Township (circled in red)

Causes

  • Lack of access to healthy foods
  • Lack of proximal grocery stores
  • Lack of medical clinics and facilities
  • High crime and drug rates making outside activities more dangerous
  • Lack of community centers which give opportunities for safe and organized activities

Reference (PDF)

health disparities map