A new report on the overall health of Lewis and Clark County includes some interesting information about the county's youngest and oldest residents.

Smoking during pregnancy is much more prevalent in Montana and Lewis and Clark County than the rest of the nation, according to the City-County Health Department's recently relseased 2009 Leading Public Health Indicators.

On the other end of the age spectrum in the report, the county's percentage of senior citizens is growing at a rapid rate -- residents 65 or older are projected to make up about one-quarter of the population by 2030 -- which could have big public health implications down the line.

According to the report, 18 of every 100 pregnant women -- nearly one in five -- in both Lewis and Clark County and Montana as a whole smoked between 2004 and 2006.

That compares to the national average of 10.5 out of every 100 pregnant women who smoke.

There were no figures available from the same time period regarding teen smoking during pregnancy, but a City-County Health Department survey from 2000-2005 indicated that 44 percent of pregnant teens in the county smoked.

The department puts out the Leading Public Health Indicators report -- which gives a snapshot of the county's overall health, including causes of death, communicable and chronic diseases, average life expectancy, demographics and environmental quality -- every two years.

According to Melanie Reynolds, health officer with the health department, the department uses data from the biennial report to take stock of programs the department offers and make sure the levels of funding match the need.

"We're taking (smoking during pregnancy) pretty seriously," Reynolds said.

Reynolds said the department is considering strategies for addressing the problem, including better outreach to teens through home visitation programs, networking with the hospital to make sure pregnant women get early information about the dangers of smoking

Smoking while pregnant has been shown to lead to a wide variety of complications, including spontaneous abortions, fetal brain damage, low birth weight, breathing disorders and learning disabilities.

The report is compiled from existing information from a variety of sources -- including the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, the U.S Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Census Bureau and the City-County Health Department's own reports. Reynolds said the department uses the biennial report to help guide their use of resources.

"This is an important job every health department should do," Reynolds said.

Overall, maternal and child health is good in Montana.

In 2008, the state's infant mortality rate was 6.1 percent, compared to the national rate of 6.8 percent.

Reynolds said that on the other end of the spectrum from prenatal and neonatal care, one of the items that stood out in the report was the county's aging population.

In the 2000 Census, there were 6,533 Lewis and Clark County residents aged 65 or older, or 11.8 percent of the population. By 2006, that number had jumped to 7,379, or 12.24 percent of the population.

By 2030, according to the November 2007 Regional Economic Projection Series, the county's 65 and older population was projected to be 21,410 -- or about 25 percent of the population.

Other statistics from the report include:

n Cancer was the leading cause of death in Lewis and Clark County in 2007, with 205 deaths per 100,000 people.

Heart disease was the second leading cause of death, with 188.3 deaths per 100,000 people.

The next leading cause of death was chronic lower respiratory disease, with 63.1 deaths per 100,000 people.

n Chlamydia prevalence increased from 126 cases in 2007. The number of cases had previously been rising and falling, dropping to a low of 91 cases in 2005.

n Obesity was less of a problem in Montana than in the nation as a whole. The state obesity rate was 23 percent in 2008, compared to the national rate of 26 percent, making Montana the 45th most obese state.

n Among 12th grade students in Lewis and Clark County, 56 percent had used marijuana in their lifetime, compared to 45 percent of 12th-graders statewide.

In most other categories of drugs, 12th-graders' use in the county was similar the rest of the state.

n The immunization rate for 2-year-olds in Lewis and clark County is 79 percent. The CDC's Healthy People 2010 initiative is for 90 percent of young children to receive immunizations.

Reynolds said that in addition to helping shape the department itself, the Leading Public Health Indicators report is used by a number of agencies in the county.

The Helena City Commission, the Lewis and Clark County Commission and various community action groups receive copies of it, and Reynolds said some agencies use information from the report when writing grants.

Features editor Joe Menden: joe.menden@helenair.com

or 447-4087