|
360 Wilson Drive |
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||
| LINKS |
|
HEALTH EDUCATION | EXTRAS | |||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
| Sara T. Pappa, MA, CHES - Director | ||||||||||||||||
|
The Health Education Division of the Health
District provides a variety of health education and health promotion
programs to the community. It is the goal of this Division to assist
groups and individuals in making informed decisions regarding personal,
family and community health needs. HIV/AIDS Testing, Counseling and Education Program Playground Safety Program The goal for the Playground Safety grant is to reduce unintentional injuries occurring on playgrounds through awareness and education. During 2004, the Playground Safety Coalition evolved into a resource group to answer various questions posed about safety. A study of the types of injuries and their causes in childcare facilities was completed with data collected from 11 childcare centers. The results indicated that the surface of the play area causes the most injuries; contact with other children is second. In 2004, GCCHD audited nine playgrounds in the County. A maintenance schedule was sent to those facilities. Additional assessments were completed for the Early Childhood Director for a facility in Yellow Springs. In April, a seminar on playground safety was held. Ninety-one people from schools, childcare facilities and registered sanitarians were in attendance. Additional presentations were given to the Greater Dayton Area Safe Kids Coalition, the Xenia Community Schools custodial staff and the West Carrollton Schools health and safety committee. Playground safety is everyone’s responsibility. Radon Education Program The Radon Education program educates residents of Greene County about the serious health effects of radon. It encourages them to take action against radon in their homes in an effort to reduce health risks. Seven communities with high levels of radon have been targeted: Fairborn, Xenia, Beavercreek, Yellow Springs, Cedarville, Spring Valley and Bellbrook. Additionally, GCCHD provides service to Fayette, Shelby and Warren Counties. See link above for information Outreach programs have included the high school radon challenge and poster contest, and seminars for homebuilders and real estate professionals. School districts within the County may have buildings tested upon request of the superintendent. Safe Communities Program The Safe Communities grant continues to address unintentional injuries that are related to traffic crashes. Standard seat belt counts and car seat inspections continue to take place. The 2004 seat belt survey showed an increase in seat belt usage—76% for drivers. The high school student usage is up to 80%. 247 car seats were inspected. A mini-grant from the Ohio Brain Injury Association provided bicycle helmets to BCMH (Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps) clients that are able to ride wheeled vehicles. In 2004, 5 of the 9 high schools participated in mock crashes. Seat belt surveys completed before and after the mock crashes showed seat belt usage increased. For the high schools that did not participate in a mock crash, a pre and post prom time survey was completed. All of the schools had some sort of pre-prom activity about drinking and driving. Results of the data were accepted and presented at the Ohio Epidemiological Conference. An additional injury prevention grant from EMS/ODPS provided car seats for Greene County teen mothers and fathers. The Health Department is partnering with the Greene County GRADS program to facilitate the distribution of the car seats, which will be installed by a car seat technician who will provide education for the parents on an individual basis. Greene County Safe Communities Coalition continues to be an active force in the county and strives to uphold the commitment of keeping Greene County residents safe while on the road. Tobacco-Free Healthy Communities Project October 2004 marked the end of the second year of the Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation (TUPCF) grant. The three-year TUPCF grant, awarded to the Health District in 2002, covers the counties of Greene, Clinton, Fayette and Warren, and the cities of Middletown and Hamilton in Butler County. Components include tobacco prevention (including smokeless), education and cessation for youth, adults, pregnant women and minority populations. The Mayo Clinic Outpatient Tobacco Cessation model has been adopted to extend support to prenatal clients in all target areas. This outpatient program offers the pregnant client a more intensive, continuous approach to tobacco cessation, using individual face-to-face counseling with follow-up phone calls. The Tobacco-Free Healthy Communities Coalition, formed as a result of this project, meets quarterly and is open to anyone interested in tobacco use prevention. |
||||||||||||||||
|
Home | Press Releases | Residents | Business | Site Map | Contact © Copyright GCCHD 2008. All rights Reserved |
||||||||||||||||
s