Obesity Statistics and Prevention Activities in Columbia County
Statistics
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Indicators
| Indicator | 3 Year Total | County Rate | State Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| % Pregnant Women in WIC Who Were Prepregnancy Overweight (BMI 26 - 29), Low SES (2005-07) | 90 | 13.5 | 15.4 |
| % Pregnant Women in WIC Who Were Prepregnancy Very Overweight (BMI Over 29), Low SES (2005-07) | 214 | 32.2 | 26.1 |
| % Overweight Children in WIC, 2-4 years, Low SES (2004-06) | 258 | 14.9 | 15.2 |
| % of Children in WIC, 0-4 years, viewing TV ≤2 hours per day (2004-06) | 618 | 62.3 | 75.5 |
| % of WIC mothers breastfeeding at 6 months (2004-06) | 150 | 22.0 | 38.6 |
Behavior/Risk Indicators (2003)
| Indicator | County Rate | CI # | State Rate | CI # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Adults Overweight or Obese (BMI 25+) | 58.8 | ± 4.4 | 56.7 | ± 1.2 |
| % Adults Who Participated in Leisure Time Physical Activity in Last 30 Days | 75.7 | ± 3.7 | 74.6 | ± 1.0 |
| % Adults Eating 5 or More Fruits or Vegetables per Day | 29.3 | ± 4.0 | 25.8 | ± 1.4 |
| % Adults with Physician Diagnosed Diabetes | 6.2 | ± 2.0 | 7.2 | ± 0.6 |
| % Adults with Physician Diagnosed Angina, Heart Attack or Stroke | 7.0 | ± 2.2 | 6.9 | ± 0.5 |
| % Adults with Physician Diagnosed Arthritis | 32.7 | ± 4.1 | 25.7 | ± 1.0 |
Mortality-Related Indicators (2004-2006)
| Indicator | 3 Year Total | County Rate | State Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Rate per 100,000 (ICD10 I00-I99) - Age-adjusted | 780 | 301.6 | 285.5 |
| Cerebrovascular Disease (Stroke) Mortality Rate per 100,000 (ICD10 I60-I69) - Age-adjusted | 90 | 35.1 | 30.5 |
| Diabetes Mortality rate per 100,000 (ICD10 E10-E14) - Age-adjusted | 39 | 16.5 | 18.8 |
Hospitalization-Related Indicators (2004-2006)
| Indicator | 3 Year Total | County Rate | State Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Disease Hospitalization Rate per 10,000 (ICD9 390-459) - Age-adjusted | 3,759 | 154.2 | 184.2 |
| Cerebrovascular Disease (Stroke) Hospitalization Rate per 10,000 (ICD9 430-438) - Age-adjusted | 542 | 22.1 | 26.7 |
| Diabetes Hospitalization Rate per 10,000 (Primary Diagnosis ICD9 250) - Age-adjusted | 209 | 9.6 | 19.7 |
Notes
- Age-adjusted rates are based on the 2000 US Census population
- CI # - 95% confidence interval for BRFSS/Expanded BRFSS indicators
Prevention Program Activities Funded by the State Department of Health
Overweight and Obesity Prevention Program
The Columbia County Community Health Care Consortium, Inc., located in Hudson, received a five-year grant to support policy and environmental changes for nutrition and physical activity in school districts throughout the county. They will increase awareness and knowledge about healthy eating and exercise by offering grade level nutrition education and curriculum materials to school teachers in grades K-8, encourage school districts to create opportunities for students to be more physically active by offering before/after school non-competitive physical activity programs, and integrating physical activity during the day by incorporating activity with academic concepts. The Consortium will increase awareness regarding the importance of reducing “screen time” (i.e. TV, video games, DVDs) and encouraging participation in “National Screen time Awareness Week” activities. They will also work with school district wellness committees, raise public awareness of obesity through a public media campaign, and partner with PTAs. Plans are in place to encourage school districts to continue working on healthier eating environments by increasing the amount of local fruits and vegetables offered in food service programs, and encouraging district-wide policy changes that support healthy fundraising.
Healthy Heart Program
Through Healthy Heart Program funding, the Columbia County Department of Health has worked in 12 schools to increase opportunities for physical activity and access to healthy foods. They have also established the Columbia Alliance for Heart Health. School interventions include:
- Establishing wellness committees,
- Implementing wellness policies,
- Increasing the availability of low-fat milk,
- Establishing school vegetable gardens,
- Installing salad bars,
- Implementing walking programs,
- Increasing bike safety, and
- Increasing healthy snacks.
Diabetes Prevention and Control Program
The Capital Region Diabetes Coalition, led by Albany Memorial Hospital in Albany, is one of 15 regional diabetes coalitions funded by the Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. The coalitions provide community-based programming for the prevention of diabetes and its complications. In addition to hosting educational events focused on nutrition, physical activity and diabetes management, the coalitions provide education for health care providers working with people with or at risk for diabetes, and promote policy, systems, and environmental change. Examples of changes include expanding walking trails, including healthy choice foods and beverages in vending machines, and offering flex time for employees to take longer walks during their lunchtime.
Columbia County is one of four counties represented in this coalition’s catchment area. Partners include the Columbia Health Network and Columbia Memorial Hospital. The coalition focuses on diabetes prevention activities for individuals at high risk for developing diabetes in this rural area, and has conducted diabetes management training for local hospital nursing staff.
WIC
Catholic Charities administers the WIC Program at four sites, serving approximately 1,000 women, infants and children each month in Columbia County. WIC has implemented a number of obesity prevention initiatives, including breastfeeding support, Fit WIC physical activity training for parents, patient-centered nutrition education, low-fat milk promotion, and the new WIC food package which includes vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and non-fat and low-fat milk.
Increasing Access to Healthy Foods in the Emergency Food Network
Through the Hunger and Nutrition Assistance Program and the Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables Nutrition Education Program, emergency food recipients have increased availability of healthy foods like fresh produce and 1% or fat free milk, and an increased knowledge of how to prepare these foods. Last year, more than $326,000 worth of fresh produce and 1% or fat free milk was made available to emergency food relief organizations in the Regional Food Bank of North Eastern New York region which covers 23 counties. In addition, 3,125 individuals participated in 249 nutrition education workshops in the Regional Food Bank of North Eastern New York region last year.
