SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO-AM) Obesity, drug and alcohol abuse. and mental health are some of the biggest health problems plaguing the Sioux Falls area
The City Health Department partnered with Avera Health and Sanford Health to assess community health issues using resident surveys and focus groups. The report was released on Thursday.
“Previously, the Health Department and the two major health systems had completed separate assessments,” said Jill Franken, Public Health Director for the City of Sioux Falls. “What made this current project so exciting is that we partnered with the health systems and other community organizations to ensure we have one comprehensive look at the health of residents in our area.”
City Public Health Prevention Coordinator Mary Michaels says that, moving forward, the health department and health systems will work together to develop strategies to address the identified health challenges.
The health systems need to complete this type of assessment every three years, a requirement established in the Affordable Care Act, according to Dr. David Kapaska, Regional President and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center.
Some notable findings include:
Sioux Falls still ranks near the bottom in the nation for fruit and vegetable consumption.
Only 8.1 percent of residents consume four or five vegetables per day, and only 6.1 percent consume four or five servings of fruit per day.
- Two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, based on body mass index (BMI).
- More than 20 percent of adults in the Sioux Falls MSA had not engaged in any type of physical activity during the past 30 days.
- The level of binge drinking in the Sioux Falls MSA has increased slightly from 2010, rising from 19 percent to 20.3 percent.
- Nearly one-third of residents have been diagnosed with a mental health issue, such as depression or anxiety, and many report experiencing “poor mental health days” ranging from 1 to 30 days out of a month.
- In the area of access to health services, nearly 10 percent of residents reported unmet medical needs, and 30 percent reported unmet mental health needs.
- The most often cited gap in access to care is the “hand-off,” a term coined by focus group participants that refers to ensuring individuals stay connected across the continuum of service delivery.