Reducing the Burden of Chronic Disease: Promoting Healthy Behaviors Among Youth

Background: Emerging research indicates that Head Start employees often struggle with health issues and may not be able to model the healthy behaviors that they hope to instill in young children. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between perceived physical health and chronic disease, stress, financial-resource strain, and job type. Method: This study was conducted in a large, multi-site Head Start agency located across five counties in the American Midwest. Employees ( N = 550) were invited to complete a 58-item questionnaire that assessed overall health and health behaviors, demographics, workplace environment, and interest in well-being programs. Bivariate analysis and multinomial logistic regressions were used to analyze the relationships between variables of interest and physical health. Findings: More than half ( n = 295; 53.64%) responded, and one quarter of the employees (25.42%) reported poor or fair health. Poor and fair physical health was associated with the number of chronic conditions, difficulty paying for basic necessities, and perceived stress, but not job type. A high percentage of responding employees (83.34%) reported interest in well-being programs, yet interests varied significantly by health status. Employees with poor and fair health expressed interest in stress and emotional-coping programs, in contrast to the fitness interests of employees who reported good, very good, or excellent health. Conclusion/Application to Practice: To meet the needs of employees with poor or fair physical health, employers should offer health behavior modification programs that address the sources of employee stress, including financial-resource strain and mental health challenges.

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Association between neighborhood social cohesion, awareness of chronic diseases, and participation in healthy behaviors in a community cohort

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11633-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Andrew M. Rosenblatt ◽

Deidra C. Crews ◽

Neil R. Powe ◽

Alan B. Zonderman ◽

Michele K. Evans ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Chronic Disease ◽

African Americans ◽

Social Cohesion ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Self Management ◽

Healthy Behaviors ◽

Disease Awareness ◽

Neighborhood Social Cohesion ◽

Management Behaviors

Abstract Background Neighborhood social cohesion (NSC) is the network of relationships as well as the shared values and norms of residents in a neighborhood. Higher NSC has been associated with improved cardiovascular health, largely among Whites but not African Americans. In a bi-racial cohort, we aimed to study the association between NSC and chronic disease awareness and engagement in healthy self-management behaviors, two potential mechanisms by which NSC could impact cardiovascular health outcomes. Methods Using the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Lifespan Study (HANDLS), we cross-sectionally examined the association between NSC and awareness of three chronic conditions (diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and hypertension) and engagement in healthy self-management behaviors including physical activity, healthy eating, and cigarette avoidance. Results Study participants (n = 2082) had a mean age of 56.5 years; 38.7% were White and 61.4% African American. Of the participants, 26% had diabetes, 70% had hypertension and 20.2% had CKD. Mean NSC was 3.3 (SD = 0.80) on a scale of 1 (lowest score) to 5 (highest score). There was no significant association between NSC and any chronic disease awareness, overall or by race. However, each higher point in mean NSC score was associated with less cigarette use and healthier eating scores, among Whites (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 95% confidence interval [CI]: =0.76, 0.61–0.94; beta coefficient [βc]:, 95% CI: 1.75; 0.55–2.97, respectively) but not African Americans (aOR = 0.95, 0.79–1.13; βc: 0.46, − 0.48–1.39, respectively; Pinteraction = 0.08 and 0.06). Among both Whites and African Americans, higher NSC scores were associated with increases in self-reported physical activity (βc: 0.12; 0.08–0.16; Pinteraction = 0.40). Conclusions Community engagement and neighborhood social cohesion may be important targets for promotion of healthy behaviors and cardiovascular disease prevention. More research is needed to understand the different associations of NSC and healthy behaviors by race.

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GWEPS WORKING TO SUPPORT THE AGE-FRIENDLY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM MOVEMENT

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1362 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S372-S372

Author(s):

Tara A Cortes ◽

Cinnamon St.John ◽

Jeff Lucas

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Primary Care ◽

Chronic Disease ◽

Disease Management ◽

Mental State ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Chronic Disease Management ◽

Healthy Behaviors ◽

Community Volunteers ◽

System Movement

Abstract Age friendly health systems aim to help people age and die with dignity. As this social movement progresses it is important to remember the community as a critical stakeholder. To ensure their engagement requires input from the community to understand their needs and education of the community to empower people to know what standard should be expected from an age friendly health system. The NYU GWEP has trained 140 community volunteers who have educated >4,500 older adults in the Bronx on healthy behaviors and chronic disease management. 85% responded that they have changed their behaviors as a result of the teaching. Qualitative data reveals that people feel they can now talk to their primary care provider in a meaningful way about what matters to them, the medications they take, their mental state, and mobility.

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Reinventing health promotion for healthy default beverage laws in the face of COVID-19

Global Health Promotion ◽

10.1177/1757975920986696 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 175797592098669

Author(s):

Meghan D. McGurk ◽

Catherine M. Pirkle ◽

Toby Beckelman ◽

Jessica Lee ◽

Katherine Inoue ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Promotion ◽

Chronic Disease ◽

Chronic Disease Management ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Health Promotion Intervention ◽

Healthy Behaviors ◽

Default Options ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

The Face ◽

Children's Meals

Shortly after a healthy default beverage (HDB) law took effect in Hawai‘i, requiring restaurants that serve children’s meals to offer healthy beverages with the meals, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Efforts to contain the virus resulted in changes to restaurants’ operations and disrupted HDB implementation efforts. Economic repercussions from containment efforts have exacerbated food insecurity, limited access to healthy foods, and created obstacles to chronic disease management. Promoting healthy default options is critical at a time when engaging in healthy behaviors is difficult, but important, to both prevent and manage chronic disease and decrease COVID-19 risk. This commentary discusses COVID-19’s impact on restaurant operations and healthy eating, and the resulting challenges and opportunities for this promising health promotion intervention.

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