I am from Provo Utah,
born and raised, so I contacted Eric Edwards, Director for Health Promotion in
the Utah County Health Department. The Director gave me a list of trends he has
seen but what I found most interesting is that he emphasized each one as a
leading preventative public health
issue for the County as well. The trends he mentioned are some of the most
common but there are solutions to them that can to be implemented or that are
being implemented right now.
1. Social Determinants
of Health was mentioned and how impactful the society and environment really are
to the communities’ health. It was
mentioned that SDH is a health trend that has become more recognized in
countries all across the globe. Eric Edwards referred to it as the “causes of
the causes” because it is a factor that underlies many others, health issues
can be tied back to circumstances people grew up or were born in. Just like anywhere the factors include,
poverty, access to health care, level of education, and whether or not they
have a voice in society. It is evident that there is disparity in all these
things within Utah County and the preventative efforts are becoming more and
more important because of the evidence available to show how much SDH effects
public health.
2. Another health trend
mentioned was tobacco use. The lowest rate of tobacco use for the entire nation
is in Utah County but that does not mean it is a health trend to be overlooked.
It may be a small problem in comparison to other places but it is still the
leading cause of preventable deaths. Use of tobacco and its harmful effects are
widely known and there are many things already developed and aimed and helped
to prevent the use of it. Yet because of this we should be able to prevent even
more of its harmful effects on our communities, ideally eliminate all of
it. Some solutions recommended are educating
the communities better about health risks as well as cessation resources.
Another preventative solution that has great results is Clinicians talking with
the patients about getting rid of the habit. It may be an issue that is
overlooked but tobacco is an important health trend to be considered and taken
care of.
3. Obesity rates was
another issue mentioned that is increasing across all ages. Obesity leads to
many chronic illnesses which can be prevented by simple means, having healthier
diets and encouraging more active lifestyles. The concern mostly addresses by the
health professional I spoke with was obesity among children. Many kids have
developed Type 2 diabetes at younger ages which used to be uncommon. Type 2 Diabetes
used to be known as “Adult Onset Diabetes” but now because of the rate of
children who have developed it doctors and clinicians no longer refer to it as
such. This again is something that can be prevented early on by helping to make
physical activity and healthy eating habits more common in the community.
4. An issue or health
trend commonly known particular to Utah is drug abuse and this was evidently on
the list. The misuse of prescription drugs is very harmful to the community and
it is difficult to control and prevent because they are made so widely
available. All throughout Utah there are many that suffer from drug abuse at
“near epidemic levels” and said by Eric Edwards. He mentioned this health issue
briefly but made it clear that there is still much to be done in order to
prevent the misuse of prescription drugs and to stop this harmful trend. The Utah County Substance Abuse prevention
team has been able to decrease the rates of deaths but it is still very large
issue.
5. One last public
health issue mentioned was Immunizations. Immunizations are one of the greatest
achievements for public health and they are all about helping to prevent
diseases. The problem is that many do not go and get their vaccinations or they
do not stay up to date with what is recommended. The Utah County Health
Departments have worked to get the community to see the significance
immunizations have but it has been challenging. Efforts to help to the public
understand the safety and benefits that come with getting vaccines have been
difficult because of the misinformation that has gotten around the community
over the past couple years. The prevention is there, it is more about getting
the people to use what is available.
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