Ryan Bailey- Michigan Public Health Treands

1. I decided to write about public health trends in my home town, Detroit, Michigan.  The person who I contacted to ask about public health trends in Michigan was Kathy Forzley, a health officer at the Oakland County Health Division.  One current trend in Michigan right now is the lack of access to health care.  This is due to the fact that right now Michigan has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country which has led to a high loss of access to health care.  In 2010 it was estimated that about 16.7 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 64 did not have access to health insurance.  It is also estimated that about 14.1 percent of Michigan residents did not get primary care for a medical condition simply because of cost in 2010.  It is hard for the health departments to do anything about this trend because it is largely caused by the poor economy.

2. Another trend in Michigan and specifically in my area is the rising rates of obesity.  This is becoming a serious problem because obesity often increases one’s health care costs.  A lot of factors are contributing to the rise of obesity.  These factors include socio-economic status, physical activity levels, food in schools and the high rates that high schools are now charging for kids to play sports.  Things being done to combat obesity include: organizations established to help provide healthier foods in schools, work places and healthcare settings, organizations trying to provide environments that are better for walking and biking and the state of Michigan wants to increase screening for chronic disease risks.

3. A third trend in Michigan is an increase in the infant mortality rate, especially among African Americans.  Major contributors to this trend include sexually transmitted diseases and poor maternal health.  Causes of this include poverty, racism, lack of transportation and cultural avoidance of the healthcare system.  One thing being done to prevent infant mortality is to increase the education of students about STDs and to also increase the self-esteem of young girls in an attempt to reduce teen pregnancy.  The government is also trying to provide increased access to obstetric care to pregnant women.

4. A fourth trend in Michigan is substance abuse.  The most common forms of substance abuse practiced in Michigan include prescription drug abuse and binge drinking.  Contributors to this include depression, anxiety and stress which are largely caused by poverty and unemployment.  Things being done to combat this include limiting the hours that stores can sell alcohol and increasing sales taxes on tobacco products.  Also they are spending more on community mental health.

5. A fifth and final trend is smoking.  Although smoking could fall under the category of substance abuse the health department has singled it out as its own problem because it is so popular.  Smoking has been identified as the most serious public health issue in four of Michigan’s eight regions.  Smoking like other forms of substance abuse is brought on by stress, anxiety and depression.  In order to reduce smoking communities in Michigan are making attempts to increase student education on the harmful effects of smoking.  Also the government is trying to encourage public places to prohibit smoking.