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Show Introduction & Editor's Note The purpose of Utah's Health is to provide a yearly "snapshot" of the health issues facing the state and provide the data needed to help identify populations at greatest risk for particular health concerns. As you read the articles, data and legislative update you will note health is a very diverse concept, encompassing many issues. Generally speaking, however, Utah is a healthy state. Information from the data pages indicate that Utahns tend to live longer, are more physically fit, and less obese than people living in other states. In addition there is less sexually transmitted disease, substance abuse, and homicides than other states. This is not to say. however there are no problems in Utah, nor should we disregard the aforementioned health concerns. (An article in this edition addresses the topic of intimate partner abuse in Utah. One case of such abuse is too many.) Data pages and articles included in this edition identify several health concerns that are worse in Utah than the rest of the nation. The percentage of persons going to detoxification centers for methamphetamines is much higher in Utah than the rest of the nation. Although equal in health care costs for hospital and personal healthcare, Utahns are spending more for prescription drugs and dental services. Another concern is the paradox regarding prenatal care: while Utah continues to decrease in the number of low birth weight babies being born, the number of mothers obtaining prenatal care in the first trimester (a factor found to be linked to low birth weight babies) has been declining. This is a particularly important issue since fertility rates have been consistently higher in Utah than the rest of the United States for many years. Articles addressing low birth weight babies and family planning are included in this edition. Other "snapshot" observations of this edition include: • The increased diversity of Utah's population. For years, Utah has been known for its homogenous population, both in terms of ethnicity and religion. This is changing. Those invested in the healthy lives of Utahns must realize this and begin to understand how the influx of other ethnicities and cultures impact Utah, including ethnic health disparities. Data pages and several articles address these key issues. • New initiatives. Short notes are included which describe quality improvement measures to track hospital adverse events, and a system to increase the quality of care for Medicare patients. Another note introduces a new adult health insurance plan which has been developed by the Utah Department of Health and approved by the legislature-the first of its kind in the nation. • Old threats still exist, as well as new ones. A bill presented before the legislature included concerns regarding asbestos removal, long known for causing cancer. The cost of health care, the shortage of health care workers, particularly nurses, and the amount of funds appropriated for health continue to be concerns. Articles in this edition address recurring concerns of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart conditions, which continue to affect the lives of many Utahns. Yet. new world events such as the threat of bioterrorism and new disease outbreaks such as SARS has increased the need to better track and plan for emergencies. Legislation was passed to allow for such emergency plans and articles in this issue provide insight into how Utah is preparing for such events. These efforts will not only better prepare Utah for a health emergency but should strengthen the entire public health infrastructure. Although much progress is being made regarding Utah's health, obvious gaps in data regarding mental health and dental health status are noted. This does not mean these issues are not being addressed, however. The lack of data may indicate that not enough attention is being given to these areas, as it is often hard to address a problem until the extent of the problem is known through the collection of data. (It should be noted the legislature did pass several bills regarding mental health and data pages are included in this edition regarding mental health and suicide.) Another area where increased investigation is needed is in particular health needs of specific areas in Utah. Due to the geographic size of Utah, and its diverse urban and rural populations, the editorial board decided it is important to provide more depth to the data pages. Instead of focusing only on the state as a whole, a section which looks at the health by local health department regions has been added. This new section provides readers the opportunity to see the similarities and differences of particular health issues amongst Utah's 12 health districts. It also helps identify health needs specific to a certain area. The editorial board worked to provide information on a diversity of health issues in Utah. Although there are no easy answers to "fix" any particular health issue, great efforts are being made. Yet, with the number of health issues and concerns facing Utah, more needs to be done. Health is critical to our social, economical and psychological well-being. Educating appropriate groups such as decision-makers and affected parties continues to be a challenge; limited funding sources and competing groups also make it difficult to address all of the health needs in the state. However, the editorial board hopes that by reporting both current data and current initiatives in Utah's Health, it can help guide good policy decisions for Utah's health. Call for Articles The new Executive Editorial Board is now accepting articles and other communications (such as reports of recent events, or topics more narrow in scope than a full article) for Volume X of Utah's Health: An Annual Review. These items should be original analyses on any aspect of health, health care access and delivery, or health politics and policy as it pertains to the State of Utah. All articles should be in APA format. Submissions should be completed in Microsoft Word and arrive in both hard copy and on a PC-formatted disk; alternatively, call for an email address for electronic submission. Those interested in contributing to the 2004 publication of Utah's Health: An Annual Review should contact: Dr. Richard Sperry Utah's Health: An Annual Review Advisor 175 North Medical Drive East Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-5901 Utah's Health: An Annual Review Volume DC |