In the latest US News rankings, North Carolina was ranked 13th out of 50 states, but 30th in healthcare. The low health ranking is due in part to factors such as the proportion of the population without health insurance, the number of preventable hospitalizations, and the obesity rate.
But there is good news for North Carolina. North Carolina has many public health agencies and professionals working to improve the health and well-being of all people.
In the complex web of policies, programs and interventions that influence health outcomes, researchers want to know:
Two research teams from the Gillings School of Global Public Health are trying to answer this question as part of the policy and program section of the July issue of the North Carolina Medical Journal.
This issue focuses on health behavioral indicators and tools for change in Healthy North Carolina 2030.
“The Healthy North Carolina 2030 project brings together experts and leaders from multiple disciplines to inform the development of a common set of public health indicators and goals for the state over the next decade,” said the North Carolina University of Medicine. read the statement. “These indicators serve as a population health improvement plan for the North Carolina Department of Public Health. Overall drivers of health equity and health outcomes (health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, physical These indicators and goals, which focus on the social environment), foster action at the state and local levels, provide a starting point for collaboration, inspire innovation, and shape a new vision for public health in our state. develop.”
A team of researchers from the first Gillings School provided insights into tobacco use in a study, Evidence-Based POS Policies to Reduce Youth Tobacco Use in North Carolina.
One of Healthy North Carolina’s 2030 goals is to reduce youth tobacco use. This publication therefore outlines the evidence in support of POS policies, including the Tobacco 21 Act, restrictions on advertising and promotion, bans on flavored tobacco products, licensing tobacco retailers, and eliminating preemption.
Sarah Halvorson-Fried.
Lead author Sarah Halvorson-Fried is a PhD student in the Department of Health Behavior at Gillings School. Her co-author is her PhD student Alexandria Reimold. Assistant Professor Sarah Mills and Jo Ann Earp Distinguished Professor Kurt Ribisl, Chair of the Department, are all in the Department of Health and Behavior. “Some tobacco control policies in the POS have proven effective in other states and regions,” Halvorson-Fried said. and reduce health inequities.”
A second research team published “The Sales Tax as a Policy Instrument to Reach Healthy North Carolina’s 2030 Goals.” This highlights the potential for tax-based price increases for certain products to reduce tobacco use, binge/heavy drinking, and daily consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. — His three goals for the Healthy North Carolina 2030 initiative.
Lead author Sherry Golden is Associate Professor of Health Behavior at the Gillings School. Her co-authors are Shu Wen Ng, Distinguished Scholar of Public Health Nutrition and Pamela Trangenstein, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Behavior.
Sherry Golden.
“Raising the price of unhealthy products through excise taxes is a proven health promotion strategy,” Golden said. “North Carolina lags behind many other states in using excise taxes to reduce consumption of hazardous substances. It outlines some recommendations you can make.
Overall, healthy behaviors contribute to healthy people and communities and prosperous nations, but these behaviors are more complex than simple individual choices. The journal issue puts current behavioral trends into context and suggests concrete steps that can promote healthier behavior in North Carolina.
Read more news from UNC Gillings.
