October 28, 2025
Community Health Corner
In America’s Health Rankings report for 2024, Kansas is ranked number 28 of the 50 states in overall health of its residents. We need to raise that ranking which was once in the top 10! K-State Extension is working with others to improve everyone’s health, and we want all to join the effort. From urban, metro, suburban, rural and frontier locations, Extension works in partnership with communities to deliver meaningful and relevant programs and initiatives to keep health closer to home. The following resources help us improve well-being, achieve Healthy People 2030 objectives and follow recommendations included in the National Extension Framework for Health Equity and Well-being.
Social Media and Teen Self- Diagnosis: The nationally acclaimed Child Mind Institute, NY has information for parents and care providers about how adolescents are impacted when they use social media to self-diagnose mental or behavioral health conditions. Teens can learn a lot from social media sources — some accurate, some not — which can lead them to conclude that they have ADHD, autism, borderline personality disorder, or another mental health diagnosis. Learn what to do when teens self-diagnose after watching TikTok videos on mental health topics. Experts with Child Mind Institute recommend that an evaluation with a professional is the key to figuring out what’s going on. In the meantime, keep lines of communication open with your teen, including how to make their use of social media healthy and productive.
Just the Vax – Trivia: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Parents Pack provides evidence-based information for parents, grandparents, care givers about vaccinations. This month, the Parents Pack trivia question is: What vaccine-preventable disease can be particularly deadly for the elderly?
A. Pneumococcal disease
B. Shingles
C. Measles
D. Rotavirus
The correct answer is A. Pneumococcal disease usually attacks when a person’s immune system is already weakened by another infection. Pneumococcus is particularly deadly in elderly people when it causes pneumonia during recovery from an influenza infection. Find out more about pneumococcal disease here. Other trivia questions and a trivia Kahoot game page is here.
Suicide Claims More Gen Z Lives Than Previous Generations: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the suicide rate for Gen Z adults 18-27 (those born between 1997-2012) has increased since 2014 with the bulk of the increase in suicides among Black and Hispanic men. Reported by Stateline, theories behind the increase range from bullying on social media since Gen Z was the first generation to grow up with the internet, to economic despair, to cultural resistance to seeking to help for depression. According to the Stateline report, suicide became the second-highest cause of death for young Hispanics, surpassing homicide, and became the No. 1 cause of death for young Asians, surpassing accidents. Men have the highest rates, especially Black and Hispanic men, who together account for 85% of the total increase in suicide, 822 of 965. Learn about suicide risk and suicide reporting through the Kansas Suicide-Related Data Dashboard.
Remember, 988 is available to all who are experiencing mental health crisis and seeking local help.
Looking Ahead:
- World Diabetes Day is November 14, 2025. World Health Organization (WHO) has free information and resources.
- National Rural Health Day is November 20, 2025. Join the Kansas Rural Health Association in Hays to celebrate the day and learn about the status of health in rural Kansas. The agenda for the November 20 Kansas Rural Health Summit is here.
- Kansas Governor’s Public Health Conference in Wichita, March 30-April 1, 2026
For more information, check at the Kansas health data dashboards and resources at Kansas Health Matters or contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu; and Stephanie Gutierrez, smgutier@k-state.edu