Complete Schedule
Award Winner
Recipient of the 10th Annual Graduate Student Symposium Award, Oral Presentations, Elm Room - First Place (2017)
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Presentation Type
Open Access Oral Presentation
Keywords
Chronic diseases--Government policy; County health services--Iowa;
Abstract
Problem: Most Iowans die from chronic diseases, or diseases developed over time, often influenced through behavioral choice. The top three, heart disease, cancer, and lower respiratory diseases account for over half of all death in Iowa and in the nation. However, most public health funding focuses on infectious disease and treatment, leaving little or nothing for primary prevention of chronic diseases.
Method: The 2014 Local Governmental Public Health Survey, annual reports, and Health Improvement projects were analyzed for primary prevention of chronic diseases at county health departments. This was compared to a review of federal and state funding for chronic disease prevention.
Results: Most county health departments allocate few, if any, resources to addressing the risk factors for the leading causes of death.
Conclusions: The cause of this is mostly institutional. The federal government allocates little funding for chronic disease prevention to the state, which then has little to give county health departments. Historically, local health departments focus more on infectious disease and filling gaps in health care services. Finally, there is little demand from the public for chronic disease prevention.
Start Date
4-4-2017 1:00 PM
End Date
4-4-2017 4:30 PM
Year of Award
2017 Award
Faculty Advisor
Michele Devlin
Department
School of Kinesiology, Allied Health, and Human Services
Department
Division of Health Promotion and Education
Copyright
©2017 Jeremy Whitaker
File Format
application/pdf
Embargo Date
4-4-2017
Misplaced Priorities: How County Health Departments Overlook the Leading Causes of Death
Problem: Most Iowans die from chronic diseases, or diseases developed over time, often influenced through behavioral choice. The top three, heart disease, cancer, and lower respiratory diseases account for over half of all death in Iowa and in the nation. However, most public health funding focuses on infectious disease and treatment, leaving little or nothing for primary prevention of chronic diseases.
Method: The 2014 Local Governmental Public Health Survey, annual reports, and Health Improvement projects were analyzed for primary prevention of chronic diseases at county health departments. This was compared to a review of federal and state funding for chronic disease prevention.
Results: Most county health departments allocate few, if any, resources to addressing the risk factors for the leading causes of death.
Conclusions: The cause of this is mostly institutional. The federal government allocates little funding for chronic disease prevention to the state, which then has little to give county health departments. Historically, local health departments focus more on infectious disease and filling gaps in health care services. Finally, there is little demand from the public for chronic disease prevention.
Comments
Location: Maucker Union Elm Room