John Snow was a British physician who lived and practiced in Victorian-era London. Many credit him as being the father of public health and epidemiology (the study of disease). At the time, cholera was raging in European cities, yet physicians didn’t know how it was spread. Through careful detective work by conducting interviews and making maps, Dr. Snow proved that a particular cholera epidemic in London could be traced back to one particular pump, where all the victims had sourced their water. Dr. Snow’s work showed that where you lived could impact your health.
In todays modern world, at least in developed countries, terrible bacterial scourges such as cholera and plague are rare fortunately. However, our prevalent diseases are different in nature in that they are chronic – diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, cancer, and arthritis. Traditionally thought of as “old age” diseases, we see more and more people in their 30s and 40s living with them. Unlike bacterial infections, they don’t go away with antibiotics and people live with them for many years impacting their quality of life and well being. In addition to speeding up conveyer belts to death, these “chronic” illnesses can be detrimental to one’s productivity, mental health, finances, and relationships. Ultimately, they impact the vitality of entire communities.
Dr. Snow’s work is still relevant today. Many of these chronic illnesses are partly caused by behaviors- poor eating habits, physical inactivity, stress. Like the cholera epidemics in Victorian-era London, research suggests that unhealthy behaviors are determined by WHERE we live and work. In fact, some studies have found that zip codes are more predictive of chronic disease than genetic code! For example in DC, your risk for developing a debilitating chronic illness depends on what bus line you live on!
Why are zip codes important for our health? Community features such as access to healthy foods, parks, sidewalks, recreation centers, bike trails, nutrition classes can all influence health behaviors. Fortunately unlike our genetic code, we are able to make changes to these unhealthy features in our zip codes, just like London was able to improve its water to prevent cholera. Maps of our communities can be used to get a glimpse of some of these features. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has the County Health Rankings where you can click on your county and see how it compares to the state and nation for features healthy food environments, access to parks and recreational facilities, in addition to health outcomes such as smoking and obesity rates. The map even provides an overall health ranking for your county. Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap provides a map where you can find your county and see the percent who live in poverty, are food insecure, and look at the average cost of a meal. U.S.D.A.’s Food Desert Locator shows whether you live in a “food desert”, or a census track with a large percentage of people living far from a grocery store and without reliable transportation.
What can you do to make your community healthier? Changing communities is hard, and takes time, diligence and patience. Advocating for health can take many shapes and forms. Asking a convenience store to carry fruit is one small way to advocate. Starting a community garden, volunteering to clean up a park, or repairing a sidewalk in front of your house are also small changes that collectively can make a big difference. Contact your local health department or county Extension office to see if there are groups, coalitions, or food councils that focus on making healthy changes in your community. Small changes can have a “ripple” effect that ultimately improve the quality of life for you, your family, and community!
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Accessed on 7/12/17
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Accessed on 7/12/17
Feeding America- Map the Meal Gap, Accessed on 7/12/17
United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service– Food Desert Locator, Accessed 7/12/17
Author, Dan Remley, Assistant Professor, Field Specialist, Food, Nutrition, and Wellness, OSU Extension
Reviewer: Susan Zies, Extension Educator, OSU Extension, Wood County
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