Health and Wellness

MGB Inc. – Health and Wellness – Needs Assessment

Bibb County residents have among the lowest health outcomes in Georgia, according to the recently released report by the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute (April 2022). Bibb County ranked No. 129 of Georgia’s 159 counties for health outcomes, placing it in the lowest quartile in Georgia. A slight improvement from 2020, when Bibb County ranked 131.

The leading causes of death for Bibb County residents, under age 75, are heart disease, cancerous tumors, accidents, assaults, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and gun violence. Life expectancy is 73 years old in Bibb County, lower than the state average of 77 according to the report.

The rate of low birth weights also continues to be a major issue in Bibb County. The county’s low-birth weight rate is 15% compared to Georgia’s 10%. Low-birth rates for Black babies is 17%, double the rate of low birth weights for white babies, according to the University of Wisconsin’s report. Other troubling findings include:

Bibb County has more adult obesity than the state average. The County reported 39% of residents have an obese body mass index compared to the state’s 33%.
Bibb County residents have a nigher rate of physical inactivity then the state average. The County reported 35% of adults reported no physical activity compared to the state’s average of 27%.
The number of children living in poverty in Bibb County is increasing, Bibb County reported 37% compared to the state’s 20%. Poverty rates for Black and Hispanic children are 46% and 44% respectively. The poverty rate for Asian children is 5% and 15% for white children.
One-in-four children in Macon-Bibb County do not have access to adequate food, making it among the highest counties in Georgia in terms of child food insecurity. In fact, the county’s child food insecurity rate of 24% is among the 15 highest counties in the state and nearly double the statewide average. Food insecurity is defined as the condition of not having access to sufficient food, or food of an adequate quality, to meet one’s basic needs. (The Macon Telegraph, February 26, 2024)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) ranks Georgia as the state with the second highest rate of obese children in the nation. In 2008, Governor Perdue enacted legislation requiring all schools to implement programs to target escalating overweight and obese children. However, a recent study shows nearly (9) in (10) Georgia schools fail to deliver the minimum or 90 contact hours of physical education per year and nearly (1) in (3) Georgia youth is overweight or obese. In 2011, Governor Deal said we are facing a crisis epidemic of youth obesity and for the first time in the history of this nation, generations of children will die before their parents due to the effects of obesity. South Carolina Rural Health Research Center reports that youth obesity is escalating faster in rural, Southern communities, such as Macon/Bibb County. The report states: (1) Children living in rural South had the highest likelihood of being overweight (44.1%) and obesity (26.5%) than other race/ethnic group; (3) Many adverse health effects are associated with being overweight and are in children and adolescents: increased mortality in later life, Asthma, Diabetes Type 2, Hypertension, Orthopedic complications, Sleep Apnea, Psycho-social Effects, depression and suicidal tendencies due to taunting and bullying by peers.

Only five in nine (55%) Georgia middle school students and four in nine (44%) high school students meet the Center for Disease Control (CDC) requirements for physical activity. More than two in five of Georgia’s middle school students (44%) and high school students (43%) watch TV for three or more hours on a school day. Physical fitness has been shown to be important for health and quality of life. Assessments of physical fitness provide an effective way to evaluate overall physical condition and potential risk for negative health outcomes. While not everyone can be an elite athlete, most people can achieve healthy levels of fitness by performing the recommended amounts of physical activity and eating healthy, well-balanced meals. Our organization has partnered with the following organizations to provide proven best practices, curriculum and the motivation to empower families and their youth to lead healthy lives.

Our Partners