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Issue 32: February 2010 Health Research Roundup How healthy are you? How you act, your genetic makeup, and the environment in which you live will all impact on how healthy you are now and in the future. While you can’t really change your genetics, you may want to change your behavior or the community around you. The intense public interest in maintaining health for as long as possible has resulted in fascinating research and evaluations. A quick round-up of the latest research is presented below, along with some resources for additional information. Behavior studies. We all know that some things are good for us and others are bad (or at least, less good). And we know there is a lot of grey area in between. For example, exercising is good for almost everyone. Commercial tobacco is bad for your health. Chocolate, on the other hand, has anti-oxidants, can improve mood, and lower blood pressure (believe me, I’ve done my research on the good!) but still contains a lot of fat and sugar. The primary research questions related to behavior are:
Many researchers use data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to explore trends in behaviors. For example, you can use these surveys to learn what percentage of kids eat 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables each day (21%) or that about half of adults meet a basic standard of physical activity each week. Specialists in medicine, neuroscience, social science, and other fields have all been exploring the influence of behavior on health. To find relevant research, you can use key words like health promotion, health education, and motivation. You can also explore specific behaviors such as smoking or physical activity. Sage has two relevant journals: Health Education and Behavior, and Health Promotion and Practice. Environmental studies. Here in Minnesota, we are well aware how much the environment can influence our current and long-term health. For example, we are at greater risk of being injured in an injury related to slippery roads than someone in Florida. Surprisingly, Minnesotans also develop skin cancer at a higher rate than Floridians. Air and water quality, access to health care, and amenities such as pedestrian trails can all impact our health. The primary research questions related to the environment are:
The Centers for Disease Control has pulled together a wide variety of resources on community health which examine environmental studies. You can find information on risks of lead poisoning, or information on water quality. Researchers are using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to help display and understand data. Physical scientists, engineers, planners, health practitioners and researchers have all been exploring the environment and its impact on health. There is a peer-reviewed journal specific to Environmental Health available online; you can find more resources by using search terms like community health, environmental health and key words around specific topics like air quality or health amenities.
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The Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) is a fundamental component of Minnesota’s health care reform initiative passed in 2008. SHIP is an investment “upstream” to promote healthy behavior and reduce the leading, preventable causes of illness and death: tobacco and obesity. SHIP grants were awarded on July 1, 2009 to community health boards (CHBs) and tribal governments across the state. The response to SHIP has been tremendous: all 53 community health boards and 8 of 11 tribal governments in Minnesota stepped up to the requirements and applied and received SHIP funds — meaning that SHIP reaches every part of the State. After receiving SHIP funding, communities across the state have worked to engage their communities and understand local needs related to tobacco and obesity. Local communities build partnerships among local agencies and businesses to support strategies in schools, worksites, communities, and health care settings. Over time, the efforts in local communities will lead to decreased tobacco use and exposure and a reduction in the occurrence of obesity. One area that has emerged as a high priority among a number of SHIP grantees is reducing tobacco use and exposure on college campuses, reaching the age group with the highest rate of smoking. Currently, 37 colleges across the state are implementing or exploring tobacco-free campuses, and 25 colleges are connecting students with cessation services. Many school districts are working to increase physical activity (51 districts) and improve nutrition (110 districts). Schools are using strategies like encouraging students to bike or walk to school, adding more physical activity to before- and after-school programs, and changing snack policies to encourage healthy foods during daily snacks or for special occasions. Many cities are also joining the effort by increasing access to community recreational facilities among other strategies. While SHIP grantees have only just started their work, the results they have already accomplished show tremendous promise. It will take time and sustained effort throughout our communities to achieve the reductions in tobacco use and exposure and obesity that can lessen the burden of chronic disease in Minnesota, but SHIP is on the path to reaching those goals by making the healthy choice the easier choice for all of us. For more information about the Statewide Health Improvement Program, a list of grantees and a list of interventions, visit www.health.state.mn.us/healthreform/ship. Brooke Ahlquist is currently the Policy Coordinator for the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP), where she works with internal and external stakeholders to plan, develop, and facilitate the implementation of a set of evidence-based policy, systems, and environmental interventions by grantees.
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Steering the SHIP Forward