As 2023 comes to a close, a keyword foundational to public health that keeps emerging across the field is “partnerships”.
Perhaps you are at the point where program or initiative is being planned or revised to address identified issues, priorities have been determined to address those issues, and now the task at hand is to develop an action plan to address those priorities and issues. But first, to move forward, it is important to recognize that to make an impact on priority issues/problems, addressing health inequities and their root causes are key.
As March 2020 comes to a close, the world is experiencing unprecedented times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 does not discriminate and people of all color, races, gender, income, celebrity status, religion, geographic locations are being impacted worldwide. However, what does discriminate and is showing its true colors, is health inequity.
There are a wealth of activities happening across rural American working to address and improve health outcomes, including community gardens to increase access to healthy foods, economic development to invest in healthy community design, and utilization of local wellness coalitions to take action to address local health. However, increasing globalization and the growing impact of social, economic, and environmental factors on global health, calls for expansion of the scope and reach of population health approaches to improve health outcomes across rural America.
Finals week on a college campus is a time filled with hopeful anticipation for the holiday season and a long-awaited break from studies. Standing in the way of that break, of course, is a litany of final tests and projects that can make any person feel the stress of performance anxiety. Finals stress impacts every person differently, but strong coping skills aren’t only important for this time of year.
With the year 2017 quickly coming to a close, I know many people are busy making goals for 2018, albeit personally and/or professionally. Personally, my 2018 goals center on the usual eat healthy and stay physically active, but, professionally, my goals are to educate on public health…what it is, why it’s important, and how evidence-based research helps drives efforts to improve health outcomes. Do you have goals you want to achieve or projects you want to implement in 2018, but you are not sure how those will be achieved?
Population health is the newest buzz word within the field of public health. According to an article by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), population health research is “an interdisciplinary field focusing on the health outcomes of groups of individuals.”1 In addition, population health researchers “conduct studies that seek to characterize, explain, and influence the levels and distributions of health within and across populations.”1 But not all research done with human populations can be considered population health research. The RWJF article concludes that population health isn’t just a matter of enrolling human subjects but that it must address “health outcomes, health determinants, and (the) policies and interventions that link the two.”1,2
Did you know that health and wellness can be influenced at the community, state, and national level? With the widespread prevalence of chronic diseases and rising health care costs, there is a need to intervene and improve health outcomes. But where to start? Questions that you might ask yourself…do you want to know what issues concern residents in your community, state, or region...What factors impact the health or cause of issues in the community? A community assessment is a comprehensive process that can be implemented to help collect data and gather information to support understanding of the issues that affect a community. It is grounded in a community-driven process that engages a diverse sector of people.
Living with a chronic physical and/or mental health condition can be lonely, overwhelming and, if not managed successfully, debilitating. Have you ever thought, there must be a better way, when it comes to managing ongoing health conditions? People with chronic health conditions deal with symptoms that affect their quality of life daily. Thousands of South Dakotans live with at least one chronic health condition; while many continue to manage multiple chronic conditions, or become a caregiver for those lacking the skills or resources to properly manage their health. Additionally, the top five leading causes of death in South Dakota are due to chronic disease. Although chronic diseases are among the most common and costly health problems, they are also among the most preventable.
Over the past twenty years the global burden of morbidity and mortality has shifted from communicable diseases to noncommunicable or chronic disease, with heart disease and cancer as the leading causes of death. Regardless of the focus of the shift, public health still is a necessary ingredient to addressing and improving the health of populations. Increasing healthcare costs, health inequities and risk factors for chronic disease, e.g. physical inactivity, poor nutrition, or tobacco use, reminds us of the value and need for public health efforts. If you are a public health professional reading this…you might be thinking…of course!
