October 8, 2024
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.
National Women’s Blood Pressure Awareness Week (NWBPAW) October 13 to October 19: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (HHS) Office on Women’s Health (OWH) has an online tool-kit to raise awareness and motivate action about high blood pressure (hypertension) in women. High blood pressure in early adulthood is common and can lead to serious health problems such as aneurysms, kidney disease, and heart attacks or strokes, but many women may not know they have or are at risk for developing high blood pressure. The online tool-kit provides fact sheets and simple, achievable steps that help everyone better understand and control blood pressure. Explore the tool-kit resources. Download the 2024 NWBPAW resources and share them with your networks and across social media channels. The NWBPAW webinar will be held on October 16 (Wednesday) 12:00 pm-1:00 pm. Register here and attend.
Adult Obesity Remains High: New CDC population data from 2023 show that in 23 states more than one in three adults (35%) has obesity. Before 2013, no state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%. Currently, at least one in five adults (20%) in each U.S. state is living with obesity. Adult obesity prevalence maps are available here. The 23 states with the highest adult obesity rates (35% or higher) include: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. State-based adult obesity prevalence by race, ethnicity, and location uses self-reported height and weight data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
Fire Prevention Awareness: Since 1922, the NFPA (National Fire Prevention Association) has sponsored Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance to provide education in an effort to decrease casualties caused by fires. The week of October 9th commemorates the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871 killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land. This year’s awareness week focuses on smoke alarms. Information about the importance of having functional smoke alarms in homes and businesses is located here.
Looking ahead:
- Kansas Governor’s Conference for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect, Nov. 6-8 in Wichita
- Kansas Governor’s Public Health Conference, March 24-26 in Wichita
For more information, contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu; and Stephanie Gutierrez, smgutier@k-state.edu