Urban Health
Residents of major cities may be at higher risk for chronic diseases, claims a report from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). According to the study, Big Cities Health Inventory, 2007: The Health of Urban USA, urban dwellers have mortality rates 20 percent higher than the national average, which the report attributes mostly to higher cancer and heart disease rates. Racial and ethnic disparities were apparent, as rates of homicide, lung cancer, female breast cancer and infant mortality were higher among urban blacks than among urban whites or Hispanics. Additionally, city residents account for 47 percent of all Americans living with AIDS, 47 percent of all syphilis cases and 29 percent of gonorrhea. In terms of improved health outcomes, the report found that in 42 cities, the rate of mothers who smoke have fallen 30 percent since 1990, while 11 cities saw a significant decline in the rate of births to teen mothers. The study examined 31 health indicators from the 54 largest U.S. cities, which account for about 16 percent of the U.S. population and 15 percent of all U.S. deaths.
Veterans make up a disproportionate share of the homeless, according to a new report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The study found that veterans account for 26 percent of the country’s homeless, although they make up only 11 percent of the country’s population and are, overall, better educated and have higher rates of employment and home-ownership than the general population. Researchers listed a number of reasons for the homelessness, including the fact that physically disabled veterans often face obstacles in obtaining housing. Additionally, about 45 percent of homeless veterans have a mental illness or a problem with substance abuse, with alcohol abuse more common among homeless veterans than homeless non-veterans. Other factors include high housing costs and weak social networks. Suggestions for reducing the number of homeless veterans include a risk-assessment within 30 days of discharge and more government housing programs specifically for veterans.
Obesity Fighting Tool
West Virginia is now equipping doctors with body-mass index calculators to help rein in waistlines. UniCare, the largest Medicaid provider in the state, will give doctors training in obesity prevention and small plastic wheels that measure BMIs. While many doctors are aware of the problem, supporters say it is important to encourage physicians to incorporate BMI calculations into routine primary care. Currently, the state’s Medicaid agency spends about $100 million per year on obesity-related treatment, and in 2006, obesity cost the Public Employees Health Insurance agency $93 million, the Washington Post reports. The Mountain State is second in the nation in childhood obesity, and 30 percent of West Virginian adults are obese, according to the Trust for America’s Health. BMI is a measure of weight relative to height, according to the National Institutes of Health. Some limitations of BMI, according to NIH, include overestimating body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build and underestimating body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.
Stopping ODs
Hoping to stem a tide of overdose deaths, Massachusetts health authorities will start distributing the medication Narcan to heroin addicts at community health centers statewide, the Boston Globe reports. Heroin and other opiate overdoses killed 544 people in the state in 2005, the most recent year for which data is available. That is twice the number of individuals killed by firearms. Narcan (known generically as naloxone) has been used in hospital emergency rooms for years to treat overdoses. The drug works by counteracting life-threatening depression of the respiratory and central nervous systems, thereby restoring normal breathing patterns. State officials expect the program to cost $50,000 and involve 450 addicts, who also will be encouraged to enter substance abuse treatment. Critics argue that providing Narcan simply encourages addicts to continue use under a false sense of invincibility while further delaying entrance into treatment. Boston, New York, Chicago and other large cities have already launched Narcan distribution programs.
© Copyright 2007, State Health Notes
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