Case Western Reserve University's Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods, in partnership with the Cleveland Department of Public Health, released its first results from the 2025 Cleveland Health Survey, which provides a comprehensive assessment of the health and well-being of Cleveland residents.
The work is adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the nation's leading health survey, which collects data from 400,000 people annually. The survey, which was last conducted in Cleveland in 2015, is important in understanding local health trends, which can influence future community health initiatives.
Randomly selected Cleveland households received mailed invitations to participate in the survey online or by phone between November 2024 and January 2025. About 1,500 households participated, providing important information on health-risk behaviors, chronic conditions and the use of preventative services. These factors are detailed in the report and with comparisons to the state and nation. Subsequent reports, including 20-year trends and topic-specific briefs, will be released in the coming months.
Notable findings
"Cleveland residents reported a lot of concerns related to the rising costs of living and general economic conditions, which is reflected in the data, showing much higher rates of unmet basic needs, such as access to food, shelter and transportation, compared to the state and nation," said Stephanie Pike Moore, assistant professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine.
Residents also reported being 50% more likely to postpone necessary medical care because of costs, despite having a comparable rate of insurance coverage.
"What this translates to is poorer physical and mental health because people are having to prioritize their survival over their health and wellbeing," Pike Moore said.
What's next
The findings provide a critical resource for policymakers, healthcare providers and community organizations to identify significant health concerns in Cleveland, the survey partners said. The hope is to use these insights to develop interventions aimed at enhancing health outcomes and addressing critical issues, such as mental health and chronic diseases.
About the Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods
The Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods (PRCHN) is housed in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences in the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. The mission of the PRCHN is to bridge community partners and university researchers to focus their collective expertise to develop, test and implement sustainable strategies to improve health in underserved communities. Learn more at prchn.org/.
