Efforts to fight chronic disease in the county got a boost recently after the Crawford County Health Department received a Chronic Disease Risk Reduction Grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Office of Health Promotion.
At this time, officials have not identified how much money the department has received, but there is one thing that is known: These funds will be used to fight tobacco use, increase physical activity and improve nutrition.
“We’ve used these funds in the past for newspaper advertisements, radio advertisements and different projects throughout the year,” said Vicki Whitehead, CCHD RN. “We’ve been involved with Walk Kansas, which promoted physical activity. We also send peer educators out to Pitt State and Crawford County schools about tobacco prevention.”
Chronic diseases include cancer, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1,500 Kansans die from cancers caused by smoking per year. Additionally, 1,300 die from heart diseases caused by smoking and more than 1,100 die from bronchitis-related emphysema and other respiratory diseases.
Unhealthy diet and physical inactivity can cause or aggravate many chronic diseases and conditions, including type II diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke and some cancer. One recent study estimates roughly 112,000 people die each year from obesity-related causes.
“Tobacco use, physical inactivity and poor diet, most chronic diseases are illnesses that can be attributed to these behaviors that can be changed,” KDHE Secretary Roderick L. Bremby said. “While changing these behaviors is not always easy, they can have a significant impact on an individual’s health. CDRR grants give local organizations funding and support to promote responsible choices to help local residents make lifestyle changes that can help maintain health and prevent chronic disease.”
Whitehead said these problems are not just associated with Crawford County.
“It’s a problem everywhere,” Whitehead said. “Crawford County doesn’t have a statewide smoke-free workplace or is smoke-free like Lawrence. One of the things this helps us do is publish a smoke-free diner’s guide.”
PITTSBURG —
