Chelsea Westmoreland

Chelsea Westmoreland

HLTH 100

Public Health Community Trends

October 12, 2012

Sutter County, California

1.     Childhood obesity:  More than 1 in 3 5^th, 7^th and 9^th graders in Sutter County are overweight or obese.  Sutter County health officials are working to target the cause of obesity.  They have tried to monitor what has been available to these kids through vending machines at school and what is served in the Cafeteria food.  One fear is that early obesity will lead to adult obesity.  If these kids don’t change their habits and lifestyle early enough it could eventually lead to chronic illness.

2.     Adult Obesity: 64% of the adults in Sutter Country are Obese. Obesity and overweight cost Sutter County over $46 million each year.  This is alarming for health officials like Shawna, because obesity and overweight often lead to other serious health concerns.  Also, since obesity is preventable we could be saving our county money by lowering the rates of obesity.

3.     Diabetes: Just from 2007 to 2009, diabetes cases in Sutter Country went up 30%. Diabetes is a major health concern because it can lead to heart, disease, blindness, kidney failure and amputation.  Shawna is concerned that diabetes rates will increase because other rates like obesity continue to increase.  I think if we decrease obesity then a decrease in diabetes would also occur. 

4.     Tobacco: In 2008, 18.7% of Sutter County residents were currents smokers, compared to the percentage of currents smokers from the state: 13.2%. Another alarming fact was that Tobacco related deaths in Sutter country were also higher in Sutter Country compared to the States.  The average lung cancer death rate in Sutter Country for 2007-2009 was 47/100000 persons, while the state rate was 37.2/100000. The percentage of Cigarette Sales to Under-age Youth are also very alarming in Sutter County compared to California.  In 2011, tobacco sales to under-age youth in Sutter Country were twice that of the State’s rate.

5.     Negative Health Behaviors: When asked if Sutter country residents engaged in regular physical activity in the last week, only 19.3% said they did compared to the state rate which is 21.8%.  When asked if Sutter Country residents ate fruits and vegetables 3 or more times yesterday, only 23% said yes compared to the state rate which is 25.5%.  It seems as though the people in Sutter County need to improve their healthy habits.

Source: Shawna Van Dusen is an RN who works in the Administrative level