New Violence and Injury Data Available by Neighborhood

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Have you ever wondered whether your town has more suicides than others? Or whether residents in your community are in more motor vehicle crashes? Just check the Utah Department of Health's (UDOH) new Violence and Injury Small Area report. The report summarizes data on 17 different injury-related topics by "small areas" across the state.

“Small areas” refers to a set of 62 geographic areas in Utah with population sizes ranging from 20,000 to more than 100,000 persons. These areas are especially useful for assessing health needs at the community level and targeting programs to those at greatest risk for injury

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This is the second Violence and Injury Small Area report released by the UDOH in the last four years. Data from the first report were used by local health officials to identify communities in greatest need of limited resources. For example, in Utah County, two communities were identified as having the highest hospitalization rates from falls for Utahns aged 65 and older. As a result, the Utah County Health Department secured funding from the UDOH and Mountainland Association of Governments to implement the Stepping On program in these two high-risk communities. Stepping On is an evidence-based program shown to reduce falls by 31%. Today, five counties (Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah, and Wasatch) offer Stepping On to residents via their local Health or Aging Services departments. 

Findings from the report indicate that some injuries vary widely within a local health district. For example, within the four small areas that make up the Bear River Health District, the rate of emergency department visits from suicide attempts varied from a low of 6.5 in Logan (ranked the 8th lowest in the state) to a high of 27.0 in Brigham City (ranked the highest in the state) per 10,000 persons. The state rate is 11.3 per 10,000 persons. As a result, the Bear River Health Department has formed partnerships with community agencies to educate citizens about mental health resources and decrease the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide. Officials have also implemented a free, evidence-based suicide prevention program called QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), which is designed to teach the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond.

“Utah has made tremendous strides in preventing injuries and violence in our state over the last 30 years, but this report shows that residents in some areas are still at higher risk than others,” said Trisha Keller, Program Manager for the UDOH Violence and Injury Prevention Program.

The data are presented in tables, graphs, and maps to help show differences across the state. The report includes maps of each health district and its small areas to help the reader see where violence and injury problems are concentrated.

The topics in the report include:

•     Child injuries and fatalities

•     Fall-related injuries and fatalities

•     Firearm fatalities

•     Self-reported seatbelt usage

•     Motor vehicle crash injuries and fatalities

•     Poisoning fatalities

•     Suicide attempts and fatalities

•     Traumatic brain injury hospitalizations

For a full copy of the Utah Violence and Injury Small Area report, visit http://health.utah.gov/vipp.

Prominent Utah Women are Faces of New Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Getting regular mammograms is the best way to detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage. When found early, breast cancer is treatable.

"Not a lot of people can say their job saved their life, but mine was truly saved when I got a mammogram for a TV story," says Mary Nickles, KUTV anchor who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 after she did a news story on the importance – and ease – of getting a mammogram.

Utah women have the second lowest breast cancer screening rates in the country. In an effort to change that the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) Cancer Control Program (UCCP) created a series of TV and radio ads featuring both Nickles and Sheri Dew, president and CEO of Deseret Book Company. Both share their stories of how getting a mammogram saved their life.

“I know a lot of busy women, in fact I don’t think I know a woman who isn’t busy, but take it from me, take 45 minutes, just do it.  Just go get a mammogram,” says Dew.

“Our key message is for all women who are 40 years and older to get screened,” said Lynne Nilson, program director, UCCP.  “If you are a woman, you are at risk, and that risk increases with age.  In fact, more than 85 percent of breast cancers occur in women with no family history.”  

“We are so appreciative of Sheri and Mary for taking the time to be part of this extremely important campaign by sharing their story with all Utahns,” added Nilson. “They both lead very busy lives, and their message is clear that taking time to get a mammogram is one of the best things a woman can do for herself and her family.

For more information or to see the ads, visit www.cancerutah.org.

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The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public's health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Immunizations: The gift that keeps on giving!

(Salt Lake City, UT) – “It’s better to give than to receive” is a common saying this time of year. But when it comes to immunizations, Utah’s public health departments want to remind everyone that just the opposite is true: It’s better to receive a vaccination, than to give somebody your illness!

A recent report from the Trust for America’s Health highlighted the important role immunizations play in a state’s ability to respond to an infectious disease outbreak. While Utah’s immunization rates for school-age children are improving for some vaccines, there is room for improvement when it comes to preschool aged children being immunized against whooping cough and adults being immunized against influenza.

“The general public can play a huge role in our state’s ability to respond to disease outbreaks,” said Utah Department of Health (UDOH) Executive Director Dr. David Patton. “You’re not only protecting your own health by being vaccinated, you’re also protecting everyone you come into contact with by not spreading disease to them.”

Public health departments use various strategies to increase public and healthcare provider awareness about the importance of vaccination, such as assessing childhood immunization levels in schools, childcare facilities, public health and private health clinics and providing feedback on strategies for improving vaccination levels.

“Infectious disease outbreaks can impact the entire community,” said Salt Lake County Health Department Executive Director Gary Edwards. “Kids will miss school, parents will miss work, employers will see productivity decline, and the health care system can be stretched to capacity. Fortunately, this can largely be avoided if people are adequately immunized.”

Two key strategies UDOH has implemented to increase vaccination levels include the Vaccination Locator and the Immunization Reminder Service. The Vaccination Locator is a web-based system that allows Utah residents to locate influenza and other vaccines throughout Utah.The Immunization Reminder Service automatically reminds enrolled parents when their children’s immunizations are due. Both are located on the Immunization Program website at www.immunize-utah.org.

Each year in the U.S., approximately 50,000 adults die from vaccine-preventable diseases or their complications. In Utah, since 2009, 99 people have died from pneumococcal disease, a leading cause of serious illness in children and adults throughout the world.  Other vaccine-preventable illnesses that have resulted in Utah deaths over the past several years include hepatitis A and mumps. And each year, it’s estimated that 360 Utahns die from influenza. The best way to protect against all these illnesses is vaccination.

To avoid becoming ill, or spreading the sickness to others, follow these simple steps.

• Wash hands often with soap and water.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or cough into your elbow. Wash your hands after throwing the tissue in the trash.

• Stay home if you’re ill and stay away from sick people whenever possible.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth because germs spread this way. 

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, especially if someone is ill.

• Contact your healthcare provider if you have been exposed to the flu and think you may be infected.

• Take antiviral medication only if your healthcare provider recommends them.

For more information on what immunizations are recommended for adults and children, talk to your health care provider, local health department or visit www.immunize-utah.org.

Media Contact:

Rebecca Ward

Health Program Specialist

(o) 801-538-6682 (m) 801-647-5421

Local Teens Illuminate Deceptive E-Cigarette Vapors

(Salt Lake City, UT)— “Come and get it!” As food trucks clamor for your lunch money, someone else is getting your kids’ lunch money – and it’s not your ordinary street cart vendor. On December 13th from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., there will be a ‘Stuff’ Cart at the south end of the Gateway Mall (below the movie theaters) offering ambiguous “stuff” and delivering an important message about e-cigarettes.

The Stuff Cart is sponsored by Outrage!, a statewide youth coalition dedicated to telling Utahns about the dangers of tobacco and e-cigarettes. Just like the stuff displayed at their cart, e-cigarettes and nicotine vaporizers are sold in youth-appealing flavors, marketed in areas with youth traffic, and have no ingredient labels.

“Through our ‘See Through the Vapor’ statewide campaign, we are calling for concern over the increasing popularity and easy access of e-cigarettes among teens,” said Reagan Rees, local teen and Outrage! member.

Despite having no legal access to e-cigarettes, recent data released by the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) show that Utah youth are three times more likely to use e-cigarettes than adults. The devices are often marketed as cessation devices, although 31.7% of students that reported ever using e-cigarettes say they have never tried conventional cigarettes, raising fears that electronic cigarettes are the preferred nicotine product of choice for youth.

“With the ingredients and dangers unknown, tempting candy-like flavors, celebrity endorsed marketing campaigns, and trends toward increasing use, monitoring youth access to these devices is a public health priority,” said Adam Bramwell, Marketing Manager, UDOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program.

This launch event will be followed by similar localized ‘Stuff’ Cart events by Outrage! youth across the state through the month of January.

A sneak peek at the ‘Stuff’ Cart can be seen at http://youtu.be/LXk-IlPRLTM online.

Media Contact:

Adam Bramwell

Marketing Manager

(o) 801.538.6917 (m) 801.380.0780

Gonorrhea Cases Up 94 Percent in Utah

(Salt Lake City) – Preliminary data from the Utah Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology indicate that 633 cases of gonorrhea were reported statewide from January 1 through September 30, 2013 compared with 327 cases reported during the same period in 2012.  This jump represents a 94% increase.  In 2012, a total of 480 cases were reported in Utah.

Gonorrhea is the second most common sexually transmitted disease (after chlamydia) and the fifth most frequently reported communicable disease in Utah. The bacteria are spread through sexual contact with an infected partner. The infection often has no symptoms.  If symptoms are present, they may include discharge or painful urination. Serious long-term health issues can occur if the disease isn’t treated, including infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease and an increased likelihood of acquiring HIV and other STDs.

Lynn Meinor, Program Manager for the UDOH’s Communicable Disease Prevention Program says, “Over the past five years, gonorrhea in Utah has been diagnosed primarily among males.  However in 2013, there are increased cases among females  and within the heterosexual population.”  In 2012, 73% of reported cases were among males, while 27% of cases were among females.  In the first three quarters of 2013, 60% of cases have been among males, while females comprised 40%.

The Salt Lake County Health Department reports an increase in gonorrhea cases that mirrors the statewide increase.  Health experts recommend testing for anyone who is sexually active, particularly anyone with new and/or multiple sexual partners even if they do not have symptoms. “People often don’t test because they have no symptoms.  They like to think that they would know if they had an infection, and this is simply a myth,” says Lynn Beltran, Epidemiology Supervisor, Bureau of Infectious Diseases at Salt Lake County Health Department.  “We are at the point with this increase that we need people to be talking about it, and we want people to get tested to ensure their well-being,” Beltran adds.  Salt Lake County accounted for 72% of the gonorrhea cases from January through September 2013.

Gonorrhea is treatable, but the bacteria have become resistant to many antibiotics over the years.  As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised the gonorrhea treatment guidelines in 2012, and treatment for gonorrhea now requires a single dose injection plus oral antibiotics taken either as a single dose or twice a day for 7 days.  For more information on treatment guidelines visit www.cdc.gov/std/treatment.

Media Contacts:
Lynn Meinor, UDOH
(801) 538-6198 (desk)
(801) 557-1785 (cell)
Pam Davenport, SLCoHD, PIO
(385) 468-4122 (desk)
(801) 209-0986 (cell)