Buena Vista County meeting will review local cancer data, seek input
Buena Vista County will hear its cancer numbers compared with Iowa and the nation, with local inactivity and mental-health gaps in focus.
At 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, a public meeting will present Buena Vista County’s latest cancer data and compare it with Iowa and the United States. The session is for residents, public health officials, community leaders and policy makers, with space for questions and ideas on how to improve cancer outcomes.
Representatives from the Cancer in Iowa: 99 Counties Project will bring county-specific cancer information to the meeting, along with risk-factor data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The project is a joint effort of the Iowa Cancer Registry, the University of Iowa College of Public Health, the Iowa Cancer Consortium, University of Iowa Health Care Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Iowa Rural Health Association. The effort is designed to address community concerns in all 99 Iowa counties, and its interactive tools combine cancer incidence and mortality data with demographics, social drivers of health and behavioral risk factors.
Buena Vista County public-health materials list colon cancer, obesity and limited access to mental health assistance as priority health needs. A county health snapshot found 29.8% of adults reported no leisure-time physical activity, ranking Buena Vista County 92nd of 99 Iowa counties. Another county system snapshot identifies Buena Vista County as a shortage area for mental health care providers.
Colorectal cancer risk is associated with being overweight or obese, physical inactivity, alcohol use and tobacco use, and screening tests can detect polyps and remove them before they turn into cancer. The Iowa Cancer Registry lists Iowa as having the second-highest cancer incidence rate in the nation.
The registry has served Iowa since 1973 and has been part of the National Cancer Institute’s SEER Program since its inception.
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