Nicole Bauer, Health Trends

Nicole Bauer

Kari Etrheim, MPH, Public Health Education Manager

5 Trends in Olmsted County, Minnesota

The first trend is that there has been a decrease in the number of individuals who smoke because of Minnesota's laws against smoking in public places. The smoking ban was put in place in 2007, and has since yielded favorable results. According to the Olmsted County Department of Health, Minnesota's number of adult smokers has dropped about 15% and nicotine exposure has gone down by about 80%. Studies carried out by the Mayo Clinic show there has been decline in heart attacks since the smoke-free laws took effect. Ms. Etrheim says that when people can't smoke everywhere, they tend to evaluate their habits and decide to make a change. In short, the ban has been a success and has led Minnesotans toward a healthier future.

The second trend has to to with the "Making it Better" initiative launched in Minnesota, which reflects the idea that healthier communities promote a culture of health and active living. The campaign is designed to highlight citizens that are trying to encourage healthy living in their areas through smart food and physical activity choices. The hope is that this will inspire other mimic them, causing a chain reaction throughout the county. One example is the eleven childcare centers in Olmsted county that are working to focus on physical activity for kids in both structured and unstructured settings. These facilities are doing this as a part of the initiative and hope to introduce active lifestyles into early learning.

The third trend is that there has been a push from professionals for families to make sure that their medical information is accessible and that they have a communication plan--and a positive response from citizens has followed. Ms. Etrheim says that this information will be critical if an emergency comes up. Published brochures have been provided the public that outline what sort of information should be made available. This information includes things like age, weight, current medications, allergies and any medical conditions, all of which will make it easier for health professionals to assist people in case of emergency. Ms. Ertheim says that this is an important development in public health because a greater level of preparedness among citizens will undoubtedly save lives in the long-run.

The fourth trend has to do with the public's reaction to the flu. Due to the CDC's report this January that influenza has been spreading at an "alarming" rate this season, measures taken in Olmsted County, and across the country, have increased. Ms. Ertheim says that the Department of Health saw a large number of flu cases throughout Minnesota this January. This was also true for Olmsted county, where they saw an increased number of hospitalizations and people checking themselves into emergency rooms due to the flu. Because hospitals and clinics can become breeding grounds for the spread of infection, the Sleepy Eye Medical Center in Southwest Minnesota did not allow visitors for a time during January. Public Health professionals are trying to reinforce good habits, reminding people that they should not visit hospital patients when they are sick or bring in too many visitors at a time.

The fifth trend we discussed was that over the past five years, there has been a shift in the focus of public health from education alone to a greater emphasis on assessing the environment's effect on public health. Ms. Etrheim gave the example of educating people on the matter of healthy eating habits. From her perspective, it isn't particularly effective to simply tell people that they should eat an apple instead of a fast food snack. People are already aware of the fact that they should make healthy choices, and yet they still tend to go for foods that will do them more harm than good. The question is, why? Public Health professionals in Minnesota are now attempting to identify the causes in the environment/policies that people live in and under--for example, the price of fast food versus that of fresh produce is a major factor that leads to obesity in the affluent areas of the country.