IN THE NEWS
Obesity is an intersecting issue of both 'race' and poverty in America, with complex structural causes that affect people's abilities and decisions regarding their health and lifestyle. Understanding the geographic distribution of obesity is important to help us understand the structural drivers of obesity, and to identify areas where political efforts must be directed. This obesity 'epidemic' is an example of the social determinants of health in action.
Take a look at the latest obesity data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and you can see that the country's obesity epidemic is far from over.
Even in Colorado, the state with the lowest rate, 21.3 percent of its population is obese. Arkansas tops the list with 35.9 percent.
"It is the largest epidemic of a chronic disease that we've ever seen in human history," says Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the department of preventive medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Disparity among different ethnic groups.
It's not new that the obesity epidemic is hitting African-Americans the hardest, followed by Hispanics, but the maps highlight this worrying trend.
For African-Americans for example, there are 33 states with an obesity rate of at least 35 percent, whereas for white Americans only 1 state reports that rate. Nine states estimate the Hispanic obesity rate at 35 percent or higher.
"It is not about one group doing something wrong," says Lloyd-Jones, who was not involved in creating the CDC maps. "It is about the environment that we have built that sets people up to fail."
Race and ethnicity are often a surrogate for low socioeconomic status, he says.
"Our neighborhoods, workplaces and schools expose people, especially poor people, to less choices of healthy foods," Lloyd-Jones says. There are also fewer places outside to be safe and burn off calories.
PUBLICATIONS
Buck Louis, GM, et al. Racial/Ethnic Standards for Fetal Growth, the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2015.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
The award budget has been described as $10,000 to $15,000 in which two to three awards may be made.
Deadline:
November 5, 2015
Some say that anyone can be fit and healthy if they really want to, and doing so is a matter of personal responsibility. Others say that the social conditions in which people are born, live, and work (financial resources, education, neighborhood of residence, daily stressors, etc.) prevent some from being fit and healthy.
If resources were given to you,
how would you use them efficiently
to make the greatest impact in reducing obesity a
nd keeping all people fit and healthy?
Two winning ideas will receive $500 awards. Persons submitting the winning ideas will be invited
to
be part of the research teams receiving $100,000 to pilot test the idea.
EVENTS
WEBINAR
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Noon CT, 1:00 p.m. ET
Reducing hospital readmission rates to avoid CMS penalties is a top priority for hospitals. But even as care providers work to strengthen discharge procedures and patient follow-up protocols, many wonder, 'Are hospitals being asked to change outcomes that are largely out of their control, and how so?' Currently, CMS does not factor race and socioeconomic metrics into its readmission penalty models, even though evidence suggests that hospitals serving poor and minority communities bear a disproportionate amount of the penalty burden for readmissions. So, what are the factors that have the greatest impact on unplanned hospital readmissions and mortality rates, and what are hospitals doing to address them?
Truven Health Analytics' Community Need Index (CNI) looks at the underlying economic and social factors that affect the overall health of a community. This 90-minute webinar will discuss the various socioeconomic components of the CNI, as well as their correlation to hospital-wide 30-day readmission and mortality rates. Participants also will learn about the internal strategies that hospitals are employing in response to these issues, as well as the resources that they are providing to deliver culturally competent, equitable care to all patients.
WEBINAR
Thursday, October 15,
2015 from 12:30pm-1:30pm
Join the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a briefing on the newly released State of Obesity 2015.
BOOKS
Workshop Summary
Institute of Medicine
The National Academies Press
The National Academies Press
RESOURCES
A 5-part documentary series and public engagement campaign that explores how a strong start for all our kids can lead to a healthier, stronger and more equitable America.
Watch the trailer, learn more and get your DVD at
www.raisingofamerica.org
New webinar series designed for community-based, faith-based and other organizations that want to learn the basics of creating successful federal grant applications.
October 15 at 3:30 pm EDT: Technical Assistance: Foundations of Grant Writing
This introductory webinar, for community-based organizations that want to respond to federal funding opportunity announcements, covers the basics -- from how to register in the System for Award Management (SAM) to the key sections in funding announcements to successful strategies for responding.
Register for this webinar.
October 20 at 3:30 pm EDT: Why All the Excitement about Logic Models?
This webinar provides an overview of logic models and when to use them in both applications and evaluations. The webinar includes how to write specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely (SMART)objectives and how to access logic model designs. Logic model templates are provided.
Register for this webinar.
November 5 at 3:30 pm EDT: Getting to Know the Federal Government and Funding Opportunities
A federal funders panel reveals best practices in responding to federal funding announcements. Opportunities for federal funding are identified.
Register for this webinar.
Visit
www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov for more information about this webinar series and the Office of Minority Health Resource Center.
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MID-SOUTH TRANSDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIVE CENTER FOR HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH
1717 11th Avenue South, Medical Towers 516 I Birmingham, AL 35294-4410, USA
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM I JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY I UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER I DILLARD UNIVERSITY
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