The Social Health Index
The Index of Social Health was originally designed by Mark Miringhof of Fordham University as a quantitative tool to measure social well-being in a community. National measurements of social health based on this system are released annually by the Institute for Innovation in Social Policy at Vassar College. Miringhof designated eighteen key social issues that covered the areas of health, mortality, inequality and access to services, which, when monitored over time can be used to gauge the overall social health of a community.
To find the Social Health Index Rating for a particular indicator, the best year in the data is scored at 100, the worst year at 0 and all remaining years are rated proportionately. The result is a collection of uniform ratings which can be averaged to provide an overall Social Health Index Rating for a particular population and year.
How this information is being used:
As Communities In Action, the Richland County Health Department and other agencies and organizations in Richland County work on a wide variety of projects to improve the quality of life in Richland County, the Social Health Index is a useful way to track their progress, identify areas of need and support their grant applications.
The Communities In Action Steering Committee chose Social Health Indicators for Richland County based on a number of criteria. First, the indicators, when taken together, had to be broadly reflective of all aspects of social health in Richland County. Second, the indicator had to regularly and reliably measured, either by the RCHD or another agency, such as the US Census Bureau, the University of Montana, or the Montana Department of Health and Human Services. And finally, each indicator was chosen with the end goal of using it as a way to evaluate how well the Richland County Community Strategic Plan is implemented.
Matrix of Social Health Indicators for Richland County
Child (0-12) |
Youth (13-17) |
Adult (18-64) |
Adult (18-64) con't. |
Elderly 65+ |
All Age Groups |
| Infant Fetal Mortality |
High School Drop Out Rates |
Drug and Alcohol-related Convictions |
Rate of Health Screening Participation |
Meals on Wheels Participation |
Reports of Domestic Violence |
| Substantiated Child Abuse Reports |
Youth Birth Rate |
Rate of STD Infection |
Unemployment Rate |
Enrollment in Medicaid |
Road Safety Ratings |
| Low Birth Weight Babies |
Youth Binge Drinking |
Per-Capita Income |
|
Taxpayer Medicaid Bill |
Affordable Housing Availability |
| Participation in Pre-School Screening |
|
Higher Education Attendance Rates |
|
Participation in RSVP |
Overall Crime Rates |
To see the data and SHI Ratings for each indicator, click on the age groups in the navigation bar at the top of the page. Under each graph you will find information that will help you understand it and find more information if you are interested. For each indicator, there is a "best case scenario." This scenario may not be realistic or achievable, but it is used to define the SHI Rating scale; the year in the data set which has the closest result to this scenario is given a 100 rating and the year that is farthest from it is rated 0.
In order to better understand how each indicator affects life in Richland County, it is important to know the age breakdown in the county. The graph below shows the percentage of people in each age group in the county for the past several years.
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