Smoking, obesity top health issues

Jefferson County remains in the bottom half of Tennessee counties in the latest health rankings from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin.
The adult smoking and obesity rates have dropped slightly within the county, but still remain near or above the state average. The county ranked 53rd in the state in total health outcomes, a drop from last year’s 41st ranking.

The “County Health Rankings and Roadmaps,” released annually, measure health outcomes (premature death and morbidity), as well as health factors such as behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment. Release of the statistics is timed to coincide with National Public Health Week April 7-11.

Twenty-six percent of Jefferson County residents smoke (as compared with 30 percent in last year’s survey), and 28 percent are obese, according to the statistics. The obesity rate is lower than the state average of 32 percent, and the smoking rate is greater than the state average of 23 percent. Only 28 percent of Jefferson County residents reported that they feel they have adequate access to exercise opportunities, far below the state average of 60 percent.

Instances of premature death (before age 75) have increased only slightly during the past three years in Jefferson County, but residents’ opinions of their own physical and mental health continue to deteriorate. Twenty-six percent of Jefferson County residents surveyed report they are in “poor or fair” health, more than the state average of 19 percent.

Asked by the survey to think of the last 30 days, respondents reported feeling mentally unhealthy an average of 6.4 days of that period. The state average was 3.4 days. Respondents reported feeling physically unhealthy an average of 4.7 days, above the state average of 4.3

The premature death rate in Jefferson County is figured at 9,453 per 100,000 in population, above the state rate of 8,790, but down from last year.

“These health rankings are a valuable source of data,” said Sherry Montgomery, Director of the Jefferson County Health Department. “They don’t give the total picture, but they give a good overview of actual health in the county.”

Keith and Debra Shultz, who operate the local substance abuse prevention group Rescue 180, believe total tobacco use is actually closer to 40 percent locally. Keith Shultz is the East Tennessee advocate for Middle Tennessee State University’s Anti-Tobacco Initiative.

“Jefferson County is very high in under age use of tobacco,” Debra Shults said. “It appears to start around age 11.”

Keith Shults travels to health fairs, seminars, schools, and other places with an anti-tobacco use message.

The health department promotes annual “Kick Butts Day,” held last month, and directs tobacco-users to the “Quit Now” line (1-800-784-8669), which helps tobacco users kick the habit by assigning a “coach” to them.

Smoking isn’t the only factor negatively affecting health in Jefferson County, according to the survey. Physical inactivity is also slightly above the state average, and environmental factors (air pollution ozone days, access to recreational facilities, limited access to health foods, and prevalence of fast food restaurants) are also slightly higher here than across the state.

Regarding healthy foods, the Jefferson County Health Council has been working on an initiative to teach residents how to build their own raised bed gardens.

The rankings show Jefferson County improved overall in health behaviors, moving from 40th to 12th. Sexually transmitted disease instances were less than half the state average.

Access to clinical care in the county fell from a ranking of 26th to 42nd.

Social and economic factors, such as education, unemployment, children in poverty, single parent households, and violent crime rate, also dropped from a ranking of 35th to 38th. The violent crime rate here is less than half the state average.