Michelle Laparra

Community Trends Assignment:

I am from Mesa AZ, but I decided to take a look at the trends that are occurring in Bethel, Alaska. I have some distant family that lives there and am possibly visiting them and working with them in the future. Also, I have always been interested in the state and the way people live there. I called the Bethel Public Health Center and was able to speak to Boris Lesnigh, a public health nurse and representative of the center. Here are the 5 trends that he sad are affecting the population the most and the issues he sees so frequently with them:
1. Alcoholism: There is a huge growing trend with the amount of people that are addicted to alcohol. Males and females both are dealing with this and for several different reasons. The main reason is the lack of income that many people deal with. This brings about depression that turns them to "the bottle". Also, people start drinking at a young age because of the pressure that they get from around them, or the lack of things to do. There is also a possibility that the fact that the lack of sunlight in the winter also brings people to depression and therefore increases the alcohol consumption.

2. Lack of Nutrition: Boris explained to me that there is a very high amount of people with low income and that due to this, the problem of eating unhealthy food arises. People eat more junk food and processed foods because they are cheaper and more available to them. Many times, he explained, both parents will have to work, meaning that children are fed food that is easy to prepare and fast, since neither of the parents have the time to make a nutritious meal or are too worn out to do so. He mentioned that they are working on a project that will help educate parents on better low income choices for healthier foods or ways that they can prepare it so that it will not take as much effort as they believe it does. He wants people to stop believing the myth that one can only eat right if they have the money for it.

3. Child Abuse: This is a very serious problem that the department encounters in this city. Once again, it is another outcome of the low income and lack of money that many people face. Because of the stress that people build up with living without much money, many take it out on their kids. Children get verbally, mentally, and physically hurt because of these situations, to a point were it is more "normal". People still see this as a negative thing of course, but they also realize that it happens, and think of it as more common. Also, the alcoholism adds to the reasons as to why this happens. The Bethel Public Health Center offers counseling for cases like this or child services to stop and protect.

4. TB: Boris mentioned to me how Bethel has a really high rate, compared to the rest of the cities in the US, of Tuberculosis and its spreading. The reason being, is once more, lack of income. People do not take shots because they are not willing to pay or are ignorant of the severity of the disease. Many people cram together in houses because just one family would not be able to afford it. So when someone gets TB, it is spread very quickly within the residents of the house. Boris said that they try to make it aware to the people of the causes and importance of protecting themselves from TB and stopping it from spreading.

5. Lack of things for Kids to do: Boris explained to me that one of the main reasons as to why Bethel faces problems with children and adolescents getting into things like drugs and alcohol is because many do not have a place to go and hang out or entertain themselves. They mainly have school, but not much aside from that. He said how he worried for them because they just spend too much idle time finding things to do with their friends, and how many times this results in experimenting with negative things. Also, because of low income, many kids have parents working, so they do not have that parental supervision for very much time and spend a lot of their free time alone or alone with their friends. Boris hopes that they can get more places for kids to go and do something. He expressed how he was excited about a new playground, movie theater, and rec center that they are going to open in Bethel because it gives kids an opportunity to get together and be busy doing something fun but safe.