Carver-Scott Statewide Health Improvement Program

Helping Minnesotans lead longer, healthier lives.

The Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP), an integral part of Minnesota’s nation-leading 2008 health reform law, strives to help Minnesotans lead longer, healthier lives by preventing the chronic disease risk factors of tobacco use and exposure, poor nutrition and physical inactivity. SHIP seeks to create sustainable, systemic changes in schools, worksites, communities and health care organizations that make it easier for Minnesotans to incorporate healthy behaviors into their daily lives.

Carver and Scott Counties have partnered together on the following SHIP activities to improve the environment in which residents live, learn, work and play.

• Implement comprehensive nutrition policies in schools.
• Promote biking and walking in communities.
• Refer patients at clinics to community resources that will help them stay healthy.
• Implement wellness policies at worksites to support employee health.
• Enforce laws that prohibit the sale of tobacco products to children and teens.

For more information, visit the Carver-Scott SHIP website at www.carverscottship.org.

Metro Adult Health Survey

Scott County Public Health has participated with 5 other metro counties (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Ramsey and Washington) in the implementation of the Metro Adult Health Survey.  This survey has been a coordinated public health effort to provide standardized and comparable health data for the metro region of Minnesota.  The results provide county-specific, baseline data on health risk behaviors and the overall health status of adult residents.  Since 1998, Hennepin County has regularly administered its own survey of adult residents, entitled SHAPE (Survey of the Health of All the Population and the Environment).

The Metro Adult Health Survey was made possible through the funding of the Statewide Health Improvement Program.  It was conducted as a random sample mail and telephone survey of adult Scott County residents beginning in April, 2010 and concluding by the end of September, 2010.  The data collection is the first of its kind in Scott County, as the data is drawn directly from residents of the county.  While other data has been available on these issues particularly from the Behavioral Risk Factor Survey at the Centers for Disease Control, this data that has been assumed to be true for many parts of the state including Scott County.  The Metro Adult Health Survey has scientifically collected information that represents the status of adult healthy in the county, and will be extremely valuable for informing interventions.

The results of the survey are organized in the Data Book at the following link http://www.co.scott.mn.us/HelpingPeopleHealth/PublicHealth/Documents/MAHS%20combined%20databook_protected.pdf  The introduction of the Data Book provides a further description of the survey background, methodology, and information on how to read the tables.  The Appendices present the survey tool, technical notes, and references for the survey questions.

The survey results are organized as follows:

• Characteristics of the Sample (Demographics)
• General Health
• Eating Habits
• Physical Activity
• Neighborhood and Community Characteristics

Tobacco Use

The Data Book is the preliminary release of data from this survey.  In ths months ahead, additional fact sheets on specific issues will be posted on this site.  Questions about the survey may be directed to public health staff by calling 952-496-8584.