Jason Arndt, jarndt@shawanoleader.com
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Shawano residents Gregg Arneson, Charles Stuart, Jessica Mills and Amber Arneson collaborate on identifying community health issues at a meeting Tuesday in Shawano.
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Jamie Bodden, right, public health officer with the Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department, discusses health concerns with Jay Moynihan, of Shawano, and community health educator Megan Suehring at a meeting Tuesday in Shawano.
Poverty was identified as a key factor affecting the overall health of residents of Shawano and Menominee counties at a meeting this week in Shawano.
The Community Health Improvement Plan meeting Wednesday at the Shawano County Courthouse was part of a community health assessment conducted every five years by the Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department. A similar meeting was held earlier in the week in Tigerton.
About 15 residents attended the Shawano meeting, although many participants were employees of the health department and the Shawano County University of Wisconsin-Extension.
Participants were asked to write their top area health concerns on easel pads. The list included poverty, lack of jobs, access to health care and transportation.
“I was surprised that people were recognizing poverty around our area and community as well as our need for interconnectedness between different departments,” said Megan Suehring, community health educator for the health department.
Suehring said poverty leads to unhealthy food choices. As an example, she compared the price of orange juice at $5.69 per carton to $1.69 for a 2-liter bottle of soda.
“As much as they would like to utilize that money toward the healthier food, at some point they will have to make a decision, and it leads to unhealthy choices,” she said.
Shawano resident Gregg Arneson suggested residents need to take a more holistic approach to health, including, for example, eliminating wheat and gluten from their daily diets.
Participants also talked of the need for social support systems.
“It is knowing that you have those support systems if you need them, including if I have a job interview would I have someone to watch my kids so I can get there. Will I have reliable transportation to get there,” Suehring said.
In the 2014 County Health Rankings released in March, Shawano County ranked 60th and Menominee County 72nd of the state’s 72 counties.
Suehring said the rankings resulted in the health department amping up its efforts to educate and help residents.
“We went around the county to talk to a diverse group of individuals, everywhere from nursing facilities to 4-H clubs,” Suehring said.
The rankings consider 29 factors that influence health, including tobacco and alcohol use, education, unemployment rates, obesity and physical activity, and housing conditions.
Local health officials said the rankings and community health assessment reveal similar needs for the area, including mental and oral health services, alcohol and drug services, more physical activity and better nutrition, and more physicians.