Rockingham County Department of Health and Human Services News Release • March 10, 2025 • T. Wright, Public Health Director
Community’s Top Health Concerns Similar to Four Years Ago
WENTWORTH, NC – The Rockingham County Division of Public Health (RCDPH) has published its 2023-2024 Community Health Assessment (CHA). The document summarizes factors that affect the community’s health and analyzes the availability of resources. Using health statistics and input from community members, the CHA identifies the county’s top health priorities for the coming years. These priorities are similar to those from the previous CHA conducted four years ago, only with slightly different emphasis.
The new top health priorities for Rockingham County are:
- Mental health, emphasis on substance misuse
- Physical activity and nutrition, emphasis on food access
- Social determinants of health, emphasis on early childhood education.
As part of the CHA process, RCDPH collected community input through a health opinion survey, which was completed by 340 county residents. Among survey respondents, 69% indicated that they or someone they knew had been affected by mental health issues in the last three years, a significant increase compared to a similar survey conducted in 2019. Other common concerns highlighted in the CHA include the prevalence of drug misuse, the cost of nutritious food, and the limited availability of high-quality childcare, especially for children with special needs.
“The CHA process gives community members a way to show us what they’re the most concerned about when it comes to their health,” said Roberta Hawthorne, Health Education Manager for RCDPH. “That’s important because other data might lag behind what people are experiencing right now.”
The entire CHA document is available for the public to access on the RCDPH webpage or by scanning the QR code below. Hardcopies are available for reference at Rockingham County Public Libraries and the Governmental Center, as well.
Health departments in North Carolina are required to complete a CHA or similar process in collaboration with the community at least every four years. This is Rockingham County’s first CHA since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which made a notable impact on mental health, life expectancy and mortality rates in the county.
Civic groups and other community organizations can request presentations about the CHA’s finding by calling RCDPH at 336-342-8150 or emailing rhawthorne@rockinghamcountync.gov.
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