Grade: No grade, new committee

Issue Statement:

The 1998 Boone County Health and Human Services Needs Assessment, ranked unhealthy behaviors as their number one concern out of a list of 40 health-related issues.

Indicator:

The unhealthy behaviors category encompasses several risk behaviors including smoking, drinking, poor diet, and lack of exercise which lead to chronic disease, missed work days, and an overall feeling of unhealthiness.

• Private employers would benefit financially and in terms of productivity by promoting healthy behaviors in the workplace. Spending by employers on health care as a benefit to workers continues to rise. For many companies, medical costs can consume half of company profits or more. A logical step to minimizing costs is to offer health promotion programs to employees.

• Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States. Missouri ranks worst in the nation in terms of death rates from cardiovascular disease. The leading risk factors contributing to this high rate include smoking, overweight/obesity, and high cholesterol.

• The rates of cardiovascular disease for African Americans are higher than the general population. African-American men and women are 2.5 times more likely to die of stroke than whites. Among adults ages 20-74, 58% of black males and 67% of females are overweight. In order to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, current health promotion efforts need to focus on this at-risk population.

Analysis of Plausible Interventions:

This committee in cooperation with both major hospitals and the companies represented by the group's members must take steps to increase awareness of the benefits of healthy behaviors in the workplace and in other community settings. In order for significant change to take place, there must be a community commitment to healthier living.

• Boone County residents would benefit from some degree of health promotion in the workplace.

• Locally, we have excellent resources to facilitate large and small scale corporate wellness. Both major hospitals offer health screening, an assortment of health information services, and medically monitored exercise and nutrition programs. Presently, the majority of programs are being implemented in companies with more than 50 employees. Health Promotion programs have struggled to attract smaller companies to utilize their services at any level. Employers of all sizes must be made aware of the relative seriousness of preventable diseases and their effect on the workplace.

• In addition to work site wellness, our group is committed to improving behaviors, which lead to the leading risk factors for CVD in the African American population. Several excellent resources already exist to serve this population. Organizations such as the American Heart Association, Columbia/Boone County Health Department and managed care groups such as Missouri Care Health Plan make it part of their mission to educate and serve those who are most at risk for chronic diseases in Boone County. African American churches, the Blind Boone Center, and the Successful Neighborhood Resource Center are all good venues within our community to educate and serve this target population. Healthy cooking and other lifestyle modifications must become a priority within this population in order for current health trends to improve.

• To hold at least two outreach programs in 2000 to teach healthy African American cooking.

• Recruit local celebrities who embody healthy living to represent/endorse our project.

• Receive endorsement from healthy living authorities such as the Mayor's Council on Physical Fitness.

• Collaborate with the University of Missouri Health Improvement Services and WellAware to provide an appropriate amount of services to small businesses with an interest in improving employee health.

• Partner with local African American churches and other conveniently located community centers to offer ethnically focused healthy cooking and healthy diet education.

Contact:

Sara Rainey, Columbia/Boone County Health Dept., 874-7355.