Health in Casper, Wyoming is something that isn’t as important to the community, so it seems. However, with certain programs set, our population may begin to come together more and more. Solely based as an energy field town, people use the long work hours as an excuse to not do extracurricular activities to promote their health. They wake up, go to work, come home, sit on their couch, and go to sleep, just to do it all over again the next morning. It is a continuous repetitive cycle that causes them to live a sedentary lifestyle, which leads to health problems. We must come together as a community and incorporate certain health promotion programs to change this sedentary cycle that most people live in. The following will be one of those programs, and the targets it will be focused on within our community.
Health status indicators help with evaluating health within a population. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2013), social detriments are a key factor in establishing the health of a community, which is race and ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, disability, and a person’s age all influence health. Other factors would be morbidity, mortality, incidence, and prevalence within a community. Workplace inexperience also contributes to health factors, specifically here is Casper, Wyoming since we are one of the largest energy producers in the United States. Between oilfield, coal mines, uranium mines, natural gas development, and windfarms, there is all kinds of heavy equipment being operated.
Health factors that hugely impact our population are obesity causing disease, accidents, and sexually transmitted diseases. According to the Wyoming Health Department (2018), the top causes of death in Wyoming are cancer, heart disease, accidents and adverse events, and chronic lower respiratory disease. What I believe to be the most important detriments of health is cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and unintentional injuries leading to death. Health behavior leads to 30 % of our individual health, and 18.9% of Wyomingites smoke tobacco products which contributes to the 30% of people at risk for heart disease or stroke (Wyoming Health Department, 2018). 8.3% of Wyomingites have diabetes and is the leading cause of non-accident leg amputation, blindness, and kidney failure (Wyoming Health Department, 2018). And finally, obesity is another that will be discussed since it goes along with the lack of physical activity and is a large contributor to all other health factors.
Socioeconomic factors play a role within the health systems of Wyoming, due to relevance of disease and potential household income. The three main health factors all have one thing in common, people that take home 25,000 dollars or less a year. One benefit of the population in Casper is that most people have some kind of insurance. According to Data USA (2019), 86.5% of people are insured with 52.7% on employer plans, 9.81% of Medicaid, 9.77% on Medicare, 12.8% on non-group care plans, and 1.42% on VA or military plans. With that being said, not everyone uses their insurance for typical check-ups, and we all know that our health can decline faster then we can imagine. Not having a check up to see if there is something wrong, can be detrimental. Though the unemployment rate is below 5%, there are still 28% of children living in single family homes, and 12% of kids are living in poverty (America’s Health Rankings, 2020).
Social and environmental factors that can play into these three health problems, are the amount of work that is being conducted, and the use of drugs and alcohol. Over consumption of illicit drugs is something that has been a problem in Casper for quite some time. Alcohol related deaths is another prevalent statistic in the entire state since the weekends are always packed with late nights of drinking. In Casper, you can find a bar or liquor store within a 3-mile radius of any part of the town. Obesity has a score of 30.7% of the population, which leads to both heart disease, and diabetes among so many other health problems. These contribute to health disparities due to the local environment that is promoted. Also, the entire population is able to access some kind of fitness center within the area, yet only 28% of people are physically active. Exercise contributes to so many different positive health outcomes than people think, while also preventing heart disease. There are also 8.4 fast food restaurants per 10,000 people in Casper, meaning they are just as frequent as bars/liquor stores (Wyoming Medical Center, 2019). Diabetes comes from mass consumption of fast-food and drinking soda related products.
Heart disease contributes to 148.99 deaths per 100,000 people in the entire state of Wyoming, being the leading cause of death, with unintentional accidents being 55.81 per 100,000 people (Wyoming Department of Health, 2018). When broken down into more detail, American Indian is the highest-ranking race sitting at around 20% of adults having heart disease in 2018, with Hispanic being the lowest, right at 5% (America’s Health Rankings, 2020). In 2020, 19% of people with heart disease where 65+ years old, 9% were 45-64 years old, and 3% were 18-44 years old (America’s Health Rankings, 2020). Between both genders, 9.1% are male and 7.4% are female (America’s Health Rankings, 2020).
Diabetes has been on an uptrend in Wyoming for the past decade, with around 9% of adults claiming that they have been told by a healthcare provider that they have diabetes. Broken down into subgroups, American Indian is the highest just like with heart disease, sitting at 25% of adults that have diabetes in 2018 (America’s Health Rankings, 2020). Diabetes goes right along with obesity, with most people that are overweight having diabetes. Hispanic moved above the white population sitting at 10.4% of adults having diabetes, and 8.1% are white (America’s Health Rankings, 2020). The separation of age in 2020 is 17.8% being 65 years or older, 11% being 45-64 years old, and finally 2.2% being 18-44 years old (America’s Health Rankings, 2020). The volatility between genders has been back and forth for a while now, with both male and female meeting right at 8.5% in 2020 (America’s Health Rankings, 2020).
Finally, obesity being a leading cause of health problems within Casper, Wyoming. According to America’s Health Rankings (2020), 30.7% of the entire population of Wyoming is obese, with Casper sitting right at 28% of the population being obese. The numbers of people being overweight, borderline obese are rising more and more over the years due to the lack of physical activity and poor lifestyle habits. American Indian and Hispanic Americans are both the highest ranking, with both of them sitting around 36%, with white races sit at 30.3 % and multiracial are at 24.5%, all in the year 2020 (America’s Health Rankings, 2020). The age 45-64 years old is the highest rank of the obese population at 35.7%, 65 years old and older at 29.5%, and finally 18-44 years old being the lowest at 27.7% (America’s Health Rankings, 2020). Females just surpassed males in 2020, with males at 30.1% and females at 31.4%, that number continues to climb in both genders (America’s Health Rankings, 2020).
With this information being put into consideration, I will be targeting obesity as the main priority for health promotion. The percentages of obesity are almost double the other percentages. Furthermore, obesity is one of the co-morbidity factors for both heart disease and diabetes. With that being said, if the health outcome of obesity is worked on, and the percentages are lowered, then the side-effect of the other two problems will diminish as well, and so much more. The subgroup I will be targeting the most it the age group of 18-44 years old, since this age group has the most influence on others. Also, with the 18-year-old population just making the transfer into adulthood, they can begin creating good habits that they can take long into the future. I will focus on both male and female since they should be seen as equals when it comes to health promotion. This will be universal across all race/ethnic groups.
Statement of Need
This needs statement is being written at the beginning of 2022, and though some of the statistics are one or two years old, they are still relevant today. Obesity continues to persist in our community of Casper, Wyoming, and will continue to grow long into the future. Over the past decade, we have gone from 25.7% of the local population being obese in 2010, to an astounding 30.7% in 2020(America’s Health Rankings, 2020). Something further to investigate, is in 1990 we were sitting at a meek 13.7% of our population being obese (America’s Health Rankings, 2020). I don’t know if it is the influx of population we have seen over the years, or if it is a common trend. However, if we continue this upwards trend, half of our population will be obese by approximately 2050. Though that seems like an eternity, it is something that can be seen in our lifetimes. Is that what we want our children to grow up in, or their children? We must look further into the future and get a reversal of this trend. I know investors love consistent upward trends because those buy trades can make some good returns. However, this is a tragedy if it continues upwards.
The process of this needs assessment will need to be covered in several different areas of our community. Workplace wellness programs, where local employers are incentivized to provide gym memberships for their employees. Where then the employees will receive rewards for attending the gym at least three times a week. And if they persist with these gym trips each month, they will receive an even bigger reward. Employers can enhance the incentive program if they desire, to help people reach weight loss goals. Another area of focus would be to provide more gym options. According to Wyoming Medical Center (2019), there are 1.1 fitness/exercise facilities per 10,000 people in Casper, while there are 8.4 fast food restaurants per 10,000 people. If we can match even half of the number of fast-food restaurants to fitness centers, then we would be making some good leeway.
Other area of focus would be to promote more health and wellness in the Natrona County School Districts. High school is used to mold our children for college or entering adulthood. If we instill positive lifestyle habits at this age, they can carry it long into the future. It will take time, but the younger generation will soon be our middle-aged Wyomingites. And if they are provided with positive lifestyle habits at a young age, they can then begin influencing their children and the rest of the younger generation to do the same. We just have to look into the future and create the change that we want to see. This program will become a federally noticed 501(c)3 non-profit organization which can have tax information, and can take donations from anyone, or any business. The more funds available, the more adequate the fitness facilities will become, and the bigger the incentives in workplace wellness.
Mission Statement
Positive lifestyle habits are the cure-all for most co-morbidity factors, and it starts from within. With our early adults, and middle-aged adults being the most able to perform physical activity, then we are the ones that must be focused on. In order to change a community from within, it must start with 18–44-year-old people, since they are the bulk of our population here in Casper, Wyoming. Targeting obesity in this age group will bring the overall percentage of 30.7% in 2020 down over the years (America’s Health Rankings, 2020). The philosophy of this program is that if we lower obesity, we lower heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and so many more health complications. If the statement of need is accepted by the community, then our program will be supported by our communities’ elites and will be promoted by all.
Program Goals
- Lower the obesity percentage in Casper which will then lower heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other co-morbidity factors. While also raising the physically active population in our community.
- Influence our younger generation in schools to enter adulthood with positive lifestyle habits so obesity cannot become prevalent again.
Program Objectives
- Raise the amount of fitness centers that are easily accessible to the population. This needs to be done within five years at the latest.
- Lower the number of fast-food restaurants in Casper, where only one store for each chain is available. Turning these stores into other healthier alternatives can be completed by 2025
- Integrating physical activity in all age groups within our education system, from elementary, all the way to high school and our community college. This can be done as soon as the beginning of the new school year in the fall.
- Workplace wellness programs can be made with all small businesses, and other large branches. Ensuring the level of funding is available from the Non-Profit organization, this can be done as soon as the end of 2022.
- Building of more trails and large sidewalks within our community and up our local mountain range. Cycling or running up Casper Mountain Road is nearly impossible due to skinny shoulders on either side of the road. This can be done in the summer of 2022 and finished in the summer of 2023.
- Have the obesity percentage lowered by 2025, and the physical active members of our community at a higher percentage.
All in all, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are all leading causes of death in our community, and within the entire state. If the health promotion program can be integrated in Casper and it becomes a success, then we can begin branching out to other counties, then to other states. I know this will be successful, since everyone loves good incentives, even if they have to put forth a little effort. Being successful on a small-scale population of about 60,000 people here in Casper, then we can lay the groundwork for other states to build from. Lowering the obesity rate and raising the physically active population can have benefits across the board. From physical health promotion to mental health promotion, and to a happier community. Exercise is a great positive drug that can be distributed throughout all communities. We must be the change we want to see and coming together as a whole community instead of being separated between one side or the other. We are all one species on this earth we live on, so we should all act as one. Your body is your temple, and to love others, you must first love yourself.
-Cyral I Callender III
References:
CDC Health Disparities & Inequalities Report – United States, 2013 Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Supplement, November 22, 2013, Vol.62, Supplement No. 3, pg.1–187. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2013). CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/other/su6203.pdf
Center for Disease Control and STD Prevention Division. (n.d.). Developing Program Goals and Measurable Objectives. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/std/Program/pupestd/Developing%20Program%20Goals%20and%20Objectives.pdf
Data USA. (2019). Casper, Wy: Census Place. Retrieved from: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/casper-wy/#health
Americas Health Rankings. (2020). Cardiovascular Disease in Wyoming. Retrieved from: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/CVD/state/WY
Wyoming Department of Health. (2018). State Health Assessment. Retrieved from: https://www.astho.org/Programs/Accreditation-and-Performance/Documents/17-18-TA-States/WY-State-Health-Assessment/
Wyoming Medical Center; Casper-Natrona County Health Department. (Nov. 2019). Community Health Implementation Strategy. Retrieved from: https://wyomingmedicalcenter.org/documents/CHNA-IS-Nov2019.pdf
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