June 7, 2022
The Community Health Corner
Submitted by Stephanie Gutierrez
Community health uses science-based approaches for the greatest health benefit to the greatest number of people by addressing the social, economic, and structural drivers that impact everyone's health. The National Extension Framework for Health Equity and Well-being recommends using community development practices to ensure that every person has the opportunity to "attain his or her full health potential," and no one is "disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances." The following tools and resources can be used to improve health equity and well-being by working with communities to achieve the nation's Healthy People 2030 objectives.
ACT NOW: UsAgainstAlzheimer's is launching a new initiative to provide health and wellness professionals with more information about ways to support brain health as we age. Brain Health Academy includes six courses covering the science and interventions to address modifiable risk factors for dementia, including nutrition, sleep, social isolation and loneliness, physical inactivity and hypertension. Continuing education credits are provided for many professionals. Learn more and enroll today by visiting here.
USE NOW: Summer is a great season to focus on healthy eating and physical activity. As the weather gets warmer and social gatherings start back up, setting lifestyle goals to help achieve or maintain a healthy weight can be helpful. The NIH has published Weight Management and Healthy Living toolkits to help communities stay active and healthy. Visit the healthy living toolkit here.
VISIT NOW: Kansas Health Matters is a one-stop source of non-biased data and information about community health in Kansas. Visit the site's Promising Practices database to learn more about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life. The database provides carefully reviewed, documented, and ranked practices that range from good ideas to evidence-based practices.
For more information, contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu; and Stephanie Gutierrez, smgutier@k-state.edu.