Tori Doucette

Intro to Public Health

November 12, 2012

Public Health Community Trends Assignment

I had the opportunity to speak with Cyndi Burnett of the Davis County Health Department.  She shared with me the top five trends she’s noticed within public health in Davis County, namely STDs, lack of insurance, the aging population, obesity, and tobacco and drug use.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases:  STDs are an increasing issue in Davis County.  Ms. Burnett stated that part of the problem is the increases of Internet dating.  A lot of people when they go to a doctor’s office say they met someone anonymously online and ended up meeting them and having sex without knowing them well.  People hooking up more casually is also contributing, as many people will have more than one sex partner during their lives, even within short periods of time.

Uninsured:  Those who don’t have health insurance have a difficult time getting the medical help they need.  They often don’t seek health care until they have very serious problems that have escalated to a point where care is expensive and sometimes difficult (they didn’t get early screenings to notice the diseases).  These problems could be addressed more easily earlier on, but as they don’t have insurance they don’t get this help.  She stated she thinks the Affordable Care Act should help with this issue.

Aging Population:  There’s a large proportion of elderly people in the community, and this population continues to increase.  Not only is that affecting Medicare/Medicade and the economy, but it also means that there’s a large and growing group of people in the community that are affected by Alzheimer’s and chronic diseases that are generally associated with aging – diseases which are often difficult to treat and that there aren’t cures for.

Obesity:  This is a huge problem not just in Davis County, but in the entire nation.  Ms. Burnett stated that a lot of the problem is due to the culture in America.  Fast food is a major part of people’s diets, as is a general lack of activity.  These two factors are having a major impact on the health of our country and community.  Also, problems are starting earlier – children are less healthy than they used to be.

Tobacco Use/Drug Addiction:  Tobacco use is actually lessening within the community, but it is still a very significant issue.  There’s still a significant number of people using tobacco that it’s an issue that needs to be addressed.  There are many different drugs used in the community.  A growing trend they’ve been seeing is prescription drug abuse, which is becoming the most common one they see.