Last year, Stanislaus County's communitywide health report pinpointed four troubling trends: high rates of death by heart disease and accidents, too many undersized newborns and skyrocketing chlamydia infections.

This year's conclusions: high rates of death by heart disease and accidents, too many undersized newborns and skyrocketing chlamydia infections.

The difference is that last year's report -- the first in Stanislaus County -- was a wake-up call, while this year's is accompanied by an action plan, already under way, to tackle those problems.

For example, county workers have conducted door-to-door campaigns in neighborhoods where expectant mothers who are poor are most likely to live. With the help of hospitals and clinics, county workers also have conducted surveys asking pregnant women why they haven't sought prenatal care, to help officials better understand barriers.

Another example: Brochures with tips on preventing chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease, soon will be distributed, thanks to a $16,000 state grant. County officials also have hired a health educator to help get the word out.

As for heart disease, officials last year formed a prevention coalition with a board of directors and three subcommittees. They are developing an action plan.

Injury prevention could prove trickier to tackle. Health officials want to gather data this year that could lead to ideas for solutions next year.

Supervisor Pat Paul, a part- time health teacher at Beyer High School in Modesto, suggested health officials present the report to school officials and instructors.

Referring to chlamydia -- an easily preventable disease -- Paul said: "My students don't even know the word. ... I mean, we really need to talk about this."

Other points brought out in the health report:

* Births to mothers ages 15 to 17 continue to decline, as they have for nine years throughout California.

"That's something we can get excited about, but at the same time keep our focus on and continue to drive down," said Kyle Luman, a county analyst with the Health Services Agency. Cleopathia Moore, associate director of Community Health Services, attributed the decline to increased outreach.

Death rates were higher in Stanislaus County than in California in the following categories: Drugs, 9.8 per 100,000 deaths, compared with 7.5 per 100,000 deaths statewide; strokes, 28.5 compared with 25.4; heart disease, 114.5 compared with 94; vehicle accidents, 18.6 compared with 11.4; and unintentional deaths, 35.7 compared with 24.2.

• The tuberculosis rate in Stanislaus County was 6.3 per 100,000 people, compared with 2 per 100,000 people statewide.
• The local AIDS death rate, 8.3 per 100,000 deaths, was much lower than the rate of 17.9 per 100,000 statewide. Local rates for syphilis, gonorrhea and hepatitis A also were lower.
• Local death rates for firearms and homicides were slightly lower than the state rate.

Staff writer Garth Stapley can be reached at 578-2390 or gstapley@modbee.com.