CDPHP Collaborative News - Spotlight on: Few Alaska Adults Report 4 Healthy Habits Known to Prevent Chronic Disease - October 2017

Alaska Section of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

CDPHP Collaborative News

Safe and Healthy Me - Eat Well, Move More, Stay Safe, Tobacco Free.

4 Healthy Habits Links

> 4 Healthy Habits Factsheet

Data Links

> Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

> AK-IBIS (Alaska Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health)

Obesity Links

> Alaska Obesity Prevention and Control Program

> Play Every Day

Tobacco Links

> Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control Program

> Alaska's Tobacco Quit Line - 1-800-QUIT-NOW or 1-800-784-8669

> Tobacco-Free Alaska

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Links

> CDC-Kaiser ACE Study

> ACEs in Alaska


Alaska's Tobacco Quit Line - 1-800-QUIT-NOW

Play Every Day

Safe and Healthy Me

October 2017


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Spotlight on:

The Importance of 4 Healthy Habits

Healthy Habits can prevent Chronic Disease


Few Alaska Adults Report 4 Healthy Habits Known to Prevent Chronic Disease

Four healthy habits — not smoking, limiting consumption of sugary drinks, being physically active, and maintaining a healthy weight — are associated with reduced risk for several of Alaska’s leading causes of death, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.[1,2] A recent study from the Alaska Section of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDPHP) found that only 15% of Alaska adults reported all four behaviors.

The 4 Healthy Habits known to prevent chronic disease: Not smoking, Limiting sugary drinks, Physical Activity, Healthy Weight.

Healthy habits among Alaska adults   

Using almost 3,000 responses from the 2015 Alaska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), CDPHP epidemiologists evaluated the prevalence of four healthy habits among Alaska adults:

  • Not smoking (current non-smokers, including never smokers and former smokers)
  • Maintaining a healthy weight (Body Mass Index of 18.5-24.9)[3]
  • Being physically active (meeting the national guidelines for aerobic physical activity of 150 minutes per week)[4,5]
  • Limiting consumption of sugary drinks (drinking less than one sugary drink per day)[6]

Only 15% of Alaska adults reported all four healthy habits:

  • 37% had three healthy behaviors,
  • 32% had two healthy behaviors,
  • 14% had one behavior, and
  • 2% had none.

The least common healthy habits were being physically active (59%) and maintaining a healthy weight (32%). Most Alaska adults reported not smoking (81%) and limiting consumption of sugary drinks (77%).

CDPHP epidemiologists focused on these four healthy habits because they are behaviors addressed by the Section’s programs and they are behaviors that can be changed and improved. This study found that the number of healthy habits reported by adults varies by several characteristics, including sex, race, poverty, and the number of adverse childhood experiences.[7,8] Compared to those reporting all four healthy habits, Alaska adults who reported none of the four healthy habits were more likely to be male; Alaska Native; living in poverty; and reporting four or more adverse childhood experiences.[9]

Promoting healthy habits in Alaska

CDPHP is working with partners to make it easier for Alaskans to adopt and maintain healthy habits. Our program partners engage communities in a variety of ways to expand their understanding of the health harms of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, to support protective policies, and rally youth to avoid using tobacco. Health care system partners ask and advise patients on healthy choices and refer smokers to tobacco cessation services, such as Alaska’s Tobacco Quit Line (1-800-784-8669). School districts work to establish tobacco-free campuses, offer nutritious foods and drinks, and provide quality health and physical education. The Section also provides free public education materials and resources focused on tobacco prevention and cessation, increased daily physical activity, and reduced consumption of sugary drinks. The Section’s efforts and partnerships also focus on Alaska Native people; youth; young adults; adults with lower levels of income or education; adults with mental illness or substance use disorders; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.

Alaskans can enjoy longer, healthier lives by avoiding the use of tobacco products, maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active, and drinking fewer sugary drinks. Additional healthy choices include eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins; choosing water and low-fat or nonfat milk instead of sugary drinks; and limiting television and screen time that’s not work- or school-related to no more than two hours each day.

Find more information

CDPHP’s website contains Information on the 2015 Alaska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a telephone survey of adults. Additional details on datasets for these four healthy habits can be found at AK-IBIS.

To learn more about CDPDP efforts in areas related to the four healthy habits listed above, contact Karol Fink, Obesity Prevention and Control Program Manager (karol.fink@alaska.gov), or Cheley Grigsby, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program Manager (michelle.grigsby@alaska.gov).

To find out more about Adverse Childhood Experiences, known as ACEs, go to the Division of Behavioral Health's program page.

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References:

  1. State of Alaska, Health Analytics and Vital Records. 2015 annual report. Accessed February 15, 2017.
  2. Ford ES, Bergmann MM, Kroger J, et al. Healthy living is the best revenge: findings from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam Study. Arch Intern Med 2009; 169(15): 1355-1362.
  3. Body mass index (BMI) is calculated as: Weight (in kilograms) / Height (in meters) ^2
  4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2008 physical activity guidelines for Americans. Accessed February 15, 2017.  
  5. Being physically active was defined as 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week or equivalent. 
  6. Sugary drinks include regular soda or pop, fruit drinks with added sugar, sweetened powdered mixes, vitamin-enhanced water beverages, sweet tea or coffee drinks, and sports or energy drinks.
  7. Poverty guidelines are issued each year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
  8. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were defined by the CDC-Kaiser Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study.

Section
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Key Section Publications


Save the Date - October 2017


Partners in Healing

A film on integrative medicine

  • When: 5:30pm October 2, 2017
  • Where: Bear Tooth Theatre
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2nd Annual Autism Conference

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  • Where: Pioneer Park, Fairbanks
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33rd Annual Alaska Native Diabetes Conference

  • When: October 9-11, 2017
  • Where: The Lakefront, Anchorage
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All-Alaska Medical Conference

  • When: October 12-15, 2017
  • Where: The Lakefront, Anchorage
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3rd Annual Disability & Aging Summit

  • When: October 12-14, 2017
  • Where: Special Olympics Alaska Sports, Health and Wellness Center, Anchorage
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5th Alaska Native Health Research Conference

  • When: October 16-18, 2017
  • Where: Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage
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Alaska Native/American Indian Data Workshop

How to Get the Most from the U.S. Census

  • When: October 19, 2017
  • Where: Online Demonstration
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Mental Health First Aid

  • When: October 26, 2017
  • Where: UAS, Juneau
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12th annual Alaska School Health and Wellness Institute (SHWI)

  • When: October 31- November 1, 2017
  • Where: BP Energy Center, Anchorage
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Save the Date - November 2017


12th annual Alaska School Health and Wellness Institute (SHWI)

  • When: October 31- November 1, 2017
  • Where: BP Energy Center, Anchorage
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Planting The Seeds: The Influence of Culture on Resiliency, Hope and Wellness BHCE

  • When: November 2, 2017
  • Where: Video Conference
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Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)

  • When: November 3, 2017
  • Where: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Fairbanks
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All Alaska Pediatric Symposium

  • When: November 3-4, 2017
  • Where: Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage
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Traditional Health Based Practices (THBP)

  • When: November 9, 2017
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National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Alaska Chapter Biennial Conference

  • When: November 15-17, 2017
  • Where: Anchorage
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Save the Date - December 2017 & January 2018


Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)

  • When: December 1, 2017
  • Where: BP Energy Center, Anchorage
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Alaska Native Storytelling: Guide for Resilience BHCE

  • When: December 13, 2017
  • Where: Video Conference
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35th Annual Alaska Health Summit

  • When: January 16-18, 2018
  • Where:  Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage
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Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)

  • When: January 26, 2018
  • Where: BP Energy Center, Anchorage
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