Does Your Community Promote Your Health?

For the past week and a half, in my public health course (which I love by the way), we have been discussing social determinants of health.  In other words, how things such as income and education can be an indicator of our health.  Back in the 1960’s and 70’s a study known as the Whitehall Study was conducted in the United Kingdom.  It compared the mortality of people in the highly stratified environment of the British Civil Service.  It found that the lower grades, or lower status, were clearly associated with higher prevalence of significant risk factors. 

We have been watching a documentary in class called Unnatural Causes that focuses on these same issues in the United States.  The wealthier you are, the higher-powered your job is and the more education you have, the healthier you will be and the longer you will live.  This concept is known as the wealth-health gradient.  As part of an assignment correlating to the movie, we had to answer the following question: “Do the conditions in your community promote or hinder healthy choices?” 

I know that I am fortunate to live in a neighborhood that promotes healthy living, and that the majority of people do not have the opportunities that I have.  My neighborhood is safe and well kept.  I can go for a run outside.  Kids can play at the playground at the park.  There are grocery stores with fresh produce that are accessible.  There are local businesses like restaurants, chiropractic offices and yoga studios.  What there isn’t a lot of is fast-food restaurants, and abandoned buildings, broken street lights and crime.

 I live in a blue-collar neighborhood, mainly cops, firemen and teachers, who all make a decent living.  The elementary school is the center of the neighborhood and is one of the best in the city.  Which brings me to my point (yes, I do have one).  Tonight at the elementary school was Family Fit Night, which was hosted by the Parent Teacher Association’s Wellness Committee.  Staley the Bear, the Chicago Bear’s mascot, was there to talk about healthy living to the kids.  He took pictures with them and signed autographs.  There were breakout sessions set up for both the kids and the parents.  Kids could choose between yoga, karate, tobacco and drug prevention and a fruits and vegetable class.  Parents had options of weight loss or chiropractic and massage therapy.  Purple Asparagus, a non-profit organization, was there as well offering parents healthy snack options for their kids.  It was an incredible event and both the parents and the kids seemed to really enjoy it. 

As I looked around though there was one thing I kept noticing.  Everyone there seemed to already be healthy!  I saw maybe two kids that looked a little overweight, and the majority of the adults were of average weight with several looking like they were in great shape!  I started to think back to my assignment.  This was exactly the point:  a community that supports and promotes healthy living and in turn, the residents all appear to be healthy!  

Of course my mind goes back to the social determinants and I wonder if these types of events are happening in other schools in other neighborhoods, neighborhoods that may need this service more than mine.  I asked the Chicago Bears representative and she said yes, they do their program all over the city.  I spoke with the owner of Purple Asparagus and she also said they hold their classes in many neighborhood schools. 

Still, I wonder if these types of classes or events are enough to make much of a change in the health of a less-fortunate community.  How many of those schools have an active PTA, let alone a Wellness Committee that indicates the value they place on health?  What happens outside of school?  What about the bigger picture?  How is our society impeding or improving the conditions of these communities?  Should our government be doing something to eliminate the wealth-health gradient? 

But more importantly, what am I doing about it?