July 5, 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.
Join Now: Join TFAH and Well Being Trust on July 14th for a national webinar on their recently released report, Pain in the Nation: The Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Deaths. The report is the latest in a series of reports tracking the nation’s deaths of despair crisis. Deaths associated with alcohol, drugs and suicide took the lives of 186,763 Americans in 2020, a 20 percent one-year increase in the combined death rate and the highest number of substance misuse deaths ever recorded for a single year.
Use Now: Gun violence has become a leading public health issue in the United States. Firearms have overtaken auto accidents as the leading cause of death for children and teens, and guns kill more than 38,000 people and cause nearly 85,000 injuries each year. The NIHCM has developed valuable resources to help educate communities about gun violence. Visit the NIHCM website to learn more.
Read Now: The transition between the late teens and early 20s is a crucial developmental stage. During this time, young adults obtain the education and training that will subsequently provide the foundation for strong occupational and health trajectories throughout their lives. However, for many young people living in urban and rural communities, staying connected to school and the workforce has proven to be exceptionally difficult. Read the American Public Health Association’s report - Creating the Healthiest Nation: Opportunity Youth for more information on how “disconnection” affects America’s youth.
For more information, contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu; and Stephanie Gutierrez, smgutier@k-state.edu.