Page 137 - 2015 Compass Now

Issues of Concern by demographic characteristics

See In-Depth Analysis for more detail. See Table 5 for ranking of top concerns by demographic
characteristics.

Gender: Rating of community issues varied between males and females. Females rated obesity, alcohol use,
and bullying as a bigger issue in the community compared to males. Males rated identity theft as a bigger
issue in the community.

Age: Adults over age 65 rated hunger, tobacco use, alcohol use, over-the-counter drug misuse, illegal drug
use, gambling, funding for schools, identity theft, sexual abuse and violence, domestic, child, and elder
abuse, and suicide as greater community issues than younger adults. Adults less than 65 rated risk of losing
your job, risk of foreclosure and bankruptcy, and excessive personal debt as greater community issues than
older adults.

Education: Those with a high school diploma or less rated the following as a bigger problem in the
community than those with more education: tobacco use, alcohol use, over-the-counter and prescription
drug misuse, gambling, risk of losing your job, risk of foreclosure, identity theft, sexual abuse and violence,
domestic, child, and elder abuse, and suicide. Those with some college or vocational training were
more likely than those with higher education to rate as a significant issue: risk of losing your job, risk of
foreclosure, and excessive personal debt. Those with a college or advanced degree rated obesity as a bigger
problem in the community than those with less education.

Income: Those earning less than $25,000 ranked most all the issues as more significant issues than other
income groups: hunger, tobacco use, alcohol use, over the counter drug misuse, prescription drug misuse,
gambling, risk of losing your job, risk of foreclosure and bankruptcy, excessive personal debt, financial
problems experienced by local governments, sexual abuse and violence, bullying, domestic, child, and elder
abuse, and suicide were all rated as higher concerns.

Race: Non-white respondents rated alcohol use, and risk of losing your job as bigger issues in the
community.

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