Public Health Trends in the North Bay Area

Clarissa Aquino

Interviewed: Marissa Ellson Aquino

R.N., M.S.N, P.H.N., Currently working in Maternal and Child Health, Northbay Medical Center

Community: North Bay Area, Solano County, California

1. Adult Onset Diabetes

The most major community trend in Solano County is Adult onset Diabetes. According to the CDC, Solano County has the highest number of adults diagnosed with diabetes in the state. Aquino says that there are many factors that contribute to this trend in health data for the county. Probably the most prevalent issue among those diagnosed with diabetes is that they categorized as being a part of low-income families. Many in this category cannot afford a healthy diet because of factors such as a lack of time due to long work hours at paying jobs. Many inexpensive food options are high calorie, high sodium, and have low nutritional value. This lack of time can also attribute to a lack of physical activity among adults in this category.

2. Childhood Obesity

            In conjunction with Adult cases of diabetes, Solano County also has a high number of children who are categorized as obese. Most commonly associated with this trend is the fact that many of these children come from low-income families whose food choices are on the high calorie, high sodium, and low nutritional value side of the spectrum. Parents who lack in formal education head many of these families. There is also a lack physical activity due to unsafe neighborhoods. Many children do not walk to school or play outside purely because it isn’t safe. Budget cuts in the school system have also led to reduced amounts of physical activity in school i.e. physical education programs in elementary schools.

3. Teen Pregnancy

            Aquino, who is currently working in neonatal care has seen and treated an exponential amount of teenage patients. Much of this is also attributed to social disparities throughout the area. A large percentage of pregnant teens in Solano County come from lower income families. Many teen parents eventually drop out of school leading to more children being raised in homes and communities with adults who lack in formal education. This high rate of teen pregnancy can also be attributed to a lack of sex education in school systems. Budget cuts to programs lead to a lacking instruction in sex education. From personal experience, I remember being taught out of outdated books by an underpaid teacher who lacked the drive to honestly instill this type of information in students who in this day and age really needed it. Other factors contributing to teen pregnancy in Solano County include difficulty in access to contraceptives. Many teens are either unwilling to ask or pay for them. Teen pregnancy can also be attributed to what is displayed in the media regarding teen pregnancy (programs like “Teen Mom) that project a somewhat unrealistic image of teen motherhood, and pressure from friends to be sexually active.

4. Drug and Alcohol Addiction/Abuse

            Drug and Alcohol Addiction and abuse are both growing problems in Solano County, especially among teens and those with a low socio-economic status. The number of peers at my high school who smoked, drank, participated in substance abuse, and were involved in illegal activity on a regular basis was a growing problem. Most teens that fall under this category were from low-income families that lacked in parental supervision and good examples in the home, but a growing trend among teens now is that they actually do come from good homes. Teenage partying and drinking is becoming more acceptable among adults in Solano County being seen as a phase or just a part of life. I personally know children of Police officers who even supply alcohol to their children. These types of views on this issue are slowing down the progression of drug and alcohol reform in the area. Other factors contributing to this growing problem of substance abuse include a lack of education in schools and a need for more funding for recovery programs.

5. Low Breastfeeding Rates

A community trend that Northbay Medical Center is very proactively trying to improve is the low number of breastfeeding mothers in Solano County. The most common thread among these mothers is that they lack of education, not only a basic level of formal education but also that of the benefits of breastfeeding. Many mothers who deliver at Northbay Medical Center are teen mothers or fall under the low-income category or both. Many want to be independent from the responsibility of breastfeeding a child and do not understand the benefits of breastfeeding. A very common case among mothers in this area is that they are heavily involved in drug abuse and do not want to breastfeed. Others are on Medicare and receive government subsidies to buy formula if they do not breastfeed. This funding is somewhat of an inadvertent incentive to not breastfeed for low-income and undereducated mothers.