Prevention Matters

The passage of the Affordable Care Act created a renewed emphasis on community prevention and population health. With the Prevention and Public Health Fund and the Community Transformation Grants, resources are now available to improve the health of communities around the country. But how do you know how healthy your community is?

On Wednesday, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (http://www.rwjf.org/) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/) released the 2011 County Health Rankings (http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/). The County Health Rankings are a key component of the Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH) project—a nationwide call to action for improving community health—first released last year. The rankings generate 50 state reports, ranking each county within the 50 states according to its health outcomes and the multiple health factors that determine a county’s health. The four different types of health factors are health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment. Specific county-level data (as well as state benchmarks) are also available. The Rankings are built on America’s Health Rankings, an annual comprehensive assessment of the nation’s health on a state-by-state analysis, which is published jointly by United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention.

Many counties around the country have used the Rankings to implement strategies and initiate interventions to positively influence health factors and improve their health outcomes. One specific example is Wyandotte County, Kansas, where Mayor Joe Reardon worked with other local stakeholders to create a Healthy Communities initiative after seeing his state’s low rank in last year’s County Health Rankings report.

A new development with this year’s Rankings is the launch of an innovative tool, the County Health Calculator (http://chc.humanneeds.vcu.edu/). The calculator is a new interactive online application that simulates the affect of higher levels of education and income on health in a county. It was developed by Center of Human Needs at Virginia Commonwealth University (http://humanneeds.vcu.edu/) with funding by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Read more on Partnership’s community prevention efforts here.

The “Vitality Project” in Albert Lea, Minn., was named “Best Prevention Idea of the Week,” while a noted Canadian psychiatrist who touts the benefits of smoking was awarded the honor of “Worst Prevention Idea of the Week.”

The “Best/Worst” awards are given by “Prevention Matters,” the blog of Partnership for Prevention. Nominees are suggested by Partnership staff and the general public, and voted on by the staff.. Partnership for Prevention is a non-profit organization of business, nonprofit, and government leaders working to make evidence-based disease prevention and health promotion a national priority. For more information about Partnership for Prevention, go to www.prevent.org

BEST

“Vitality Project” Makes a Difference in Minnesota Community
http://www.aarpmagazine.org/health/minnesota_miracle.html

The results are in on the “AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project,” sponsored by the United Health Foundation, a program to help the residents of Albert Lea, Minnesota, eat better, become more active, and connect with one another. By the time the Vitality Project ended in October 2009 a total of 3,464 residents of all ages had participated. The life expectancy of the 786 residents who took the Vitality Compass before and after rose by an average of 2.9 years. Two-thirds of locally owned restaurants added life-extending foods to their menus, from berries to broccoli, and 35 businesses pledged to make their workplaces healthier by offering more nutritious catering menus and vending machine choices, and substituting fruit for doughnuts. Residents participated in 15 Vitality Project initiatives ranging from "walking school buses" to healthy cooking classes.


WORST

Canadian Doc Touts Benefits of Smoking
http://www.cjad.com/news/565/1049474

The former president of the Psychiatric Association of Quebec believes there are benefits to smoking and, as such, society shouldn't be treating smokers as outcasts. In his new book. Dr. Jean-Jacques Bourque points to the therapeutic benefits of smoking, calling it a stress reliever for the depressed and anxious. As for actual health benefits, he cites the fact smokers are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer's and Parkinsons disease. A smoker himself, the doctor also suggests non-smokers should show a little more compassion towards smokers instead of sending them outside to have a puff. Bourque's position is outlined in a new book to be published soon.

The 20th Anniversary Edition of America’s Health Rankings notes a worrisome escalation in preventable diseases that will significantly increase costs in an already unaffordable medical care delivery system. Of the $2.4 trillion of annual health care expenditures in the United States, $1.8 trillion is associated with the treatment of chronic disease, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.


Obesity has increased nearly 130 percent since the first edition of America’s Health Rankings was issued 20 years ago. Currently, 27 percent of the population is obese. A supplemental analysis to this year’s report shows America now spends $80 billion in direct health care costs associated with obesity. Left unchecked, 43 percent of adults will be obese and obesity will add nearly $344 billion in 2018 alone to the nation’s annual direct health care costs, accounting for more than 21 percent of health care spending.


America’s Health Rankings  is an annual comprehensive assessment of the nation’s health on a state-by-state analysis. It is published jointly by United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention. The data in the report comes from validated outside sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report is reviewed and overseen by a Scientific Advisory Committee, with members from leading academic institutions, government agencies and the private sector.

The 2009 Anniversary Edition shows Vermont as the healthiest state this year, while Mississippi is ranked 50th. Over the past 20 years, New York has demonstrated the most improvement in the overall health of its population.

This podcast features an interview with Danny McGoldrick, Vice President for Research at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. His organization recently teamed up with Partnership for Prevention and the United Health Foundation to launch an initiative aimed at American businesses. At a time of deep economic decline, this team is working to show businesses some proven ways to improve their bottom lines – by adopting tobacco-free policies in the workplace and by supporting tobacco-free policies in their communities. Listen by clicking on the media player below.

A healthier workforce and a healthier community is smart business, because it makes for a healthier bottom line. That’s why Partnership for Prevention, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and United Health Foundation collaborated to develop a new resource to help businesses lower their costs by reducing the use of tobacco in the workplace.

The “toolkit,” entitled “Investing in A Tobacco-Free Future: How it Benefits Your Bottom Line & Community,” highlights the many gains from implementing tobacco control programs and policies. You can download the toolkit and get more information at www.prevent.org/tobaccofreefuture.

A multi-pronged approach is a win-win that works. Adopting a tobacco-free workplace policy not only improves the health of all workers exposed to secondhand smoke, but also cuts business expenses related to fire and property insurance costs. Providing health benefits that include access to services to help people quit their tobacco use is cost effective to implement and yields healthier employees who spend less on health care. Comprehensive tobacco-use treatment generally includes three components – screening by health professionals, counseling that can be in-person or via phone quitlines and pharmacy support that can include over-the-counter and prescription medication.

It’s also smart business to support proven state and local public policy solutions to drive down smoking rates and increase community well-being and health. Initiatives like smoke-free workplace laws, higher tobacco taxes and well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs are all effective strategies to save lives and reduce health care costs – a worthy goal for all.