The TSET Healthy Living Program serving Tulsa County uses a comprehensive approach to work with businesses, city governments, community organizations and schools to encourage healthy eating, physical activity and tobacco-free lifestyles.
Half of all cancers are caused by obesity and tobacco use. Oklahoma has some of the highest rates of tobacco use and obesity in the nation. TSET Healthy Living Program grants are designed to prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease by preventing and reducing tobacco use and obesity on a local level. The program seeks to lessen the burden of unhealthy behaviors before they take root. Reducing the risk factors of tobacco use and obesity will save lives and money.
Three unhealthy behaviors (tobacco use, poor diet and sedentary lifestyle) influence four chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and lung disease) that account for 60% of all deaths in Tulsa County.
Our Healthy Living Program team over the past year gathered data and looked at the unmet needs of Tulsa County in the areas of tobacco control, nutrition and physical activity. This included looking at zip code data, life expectancy, child opportunity index, area deprivation index, poverty, uninsured, age and race/ethnicity etc. The data we collected can help us look at health disparities and inequalities that can exist between people living in the same areas. (i.e. where we live can affect our opportunity to be healthy). In looking at this data, we identified at-risk or high-risk areas in Tulsa County that could be considered hot spots for adverse health outcomes. As a result, a hot spot region of 32 zip codes was identified, including 7 jurisdictions, to work in over the duration of our TSET Healthy Living program grant.
Data Driven
During a global pandemic, we were able to conduct a successful community needs survey of the community by utilizing a variety of online and virtual resources in lieu of face-to-face contact. These resources helped us collect a significant number of surveys in Tulsa County. We used a virtual World Café style platform to gain more qualitative data from smaller groups of participants for deeper understanding around our goals and objectives. This creative approach allowed us to hear firsthand how community members felt about their communities in a setting that had been impossible to achieve since the onset of Covid-19.
Through established relationships with many well-connected community organizations in Tulsa and surrounding areas, we were able to utilize City of Tulsa – Working in Neighborhoods, Tulsa Public Schools, Catholic Charities, Tulsa Health Department and other large organizations to distribute the community needs assessment survey to individuals via email, text and social media.
These innovative approaches allowed us to continue our work during a time when face-to-face contact was not possible. It also proved we must be flexible in a time of unanticipated challenges and able to pivot quickly. We did – but not without the help of THD, IT and our partners who stepped up when asked and our community who supported the work when we needed them. Our program outcomes could only be as successful as they were during the pandemic due to the ability to work remotely with excellent IT and virtual capabilities. If we have great technical support the work will continue to operate at top quality.
By the Numbers
- 21 Certified Healthy Business this year in Tulsa County
- 8 business received Excellence
- 8 business received Merit
- 5 business received Basic
- 3 Certified College Campus (Excellence)
- 29 Certified Healthy Early Childhood Programs
- 7 early childhood programs received Excellence
- 17 early childhood programs received Merit
- 5 early childhood programs received Basic
- 50 Certified Healthy Schools
- 40 schools received Excellence
- 7 schools received Merit
- 3 Schools received Basic