January 30, 2024
The Community Health Corner
The National Extension Framework for Health Equity and Well-being recommends using community development strategies and health literacy programs to ensure that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. The following resources help us improve well-being for all, and achieve Healthy Kansas 2030 and Healthy People 2030 objectives.
CDC Tracks Social Determinants of Health: CDC’s PLACES website has expanded to include nine social determinants of health (SDOH) measures from the 2017-2021 American Community Survey. Understanding SDOHs, which are the community and contextual building blocks needed for well-being, can help community leaders know where to invest their efforts to improve health for all. Examining local level measures can enhance community planning for physical, mental, climate and economic health. Check-out the new SDOH measures at county, community, zip code and census tract levels here.
Statewide Health Conferences on March 4 in Wichita: The Governor’s Public Health conference is being held in Wichita, March 4-6. Explore connections between public health and community well-being through keynotes from national leaders at the forefront of public health. Full conference registration is $300. Also, on March 4 is the Kansas Alliance for Drug Endangered Children pre-conference session. The one-day conference (which is at the same location as the Governor’s Public Health conference) features information on current trends in drug use among Kansas children and effective harm reduction strategies. Registration for this one-day conference along with a list of other pre-conference offerings prior to the Governor’s conference is here.
Kansas Bullying at School Data Report: New information from Kansas CTC (Communities That Care) about bullying at school reveals that, since 2008, the percentage of kids who report they have been bullied at school has been increasing. In 2023, 32% of students reported being bullied at school, 28% experienced cyberbullying, and 19% experienced property stolen or damaged on purpose. This and other school health and student behavior information is available from Kansas Communities That Care. The recent report is accompanied by a one-page graphic here.
For more information, contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu; and Stephanie Gutierrez, smgutier@k-state.edu.