Resources:
Lee Van Roth's Feature Article: Research shows ongoing life expectancy disparities between Ypsi and Ann Arbor
Washtenaw Optimal Wellness: Blue Zones Project
Washtenaw County Health Department
Washtenaw County Opportunity Index
Transcription:
Lee Van Roth: You're listening to 89.1 WEMU. I'm Lee Van Roth, and this is On the Ground Ypsi. A report from Washtenaw Optimal Wellness is highlighting the significant differences in life expectancy and health outcomes between Ypsilanti and neighboring communities, pointing to the role that housing, income, education, and other social determinants of health play in shaping how long people live. The report's author, Jeff Tritten, hopes the findings will spark both greater awareness and stronger investments in health education throughout the community. Joining me today is Jeff Tritten, President of Washtenaw Optimal Wellness and a certified health education specialist. Jeff, thank you so much for being here today!
Jeff Tritten: Thanks for having me!
Lee Van Roth: So, what first motivated you to take this deeper look at life expectancy disparity, specifically in Ypsi, and what among that data really stood out to you?
Jeff Tritten: So, when Washtenaw Optimal Wellness formed, our goal was to bring a Blue Zones project to the region. And when we looked at the data, we realized that Ann Arbor probably doesn't need us, and Ypsilanti life expectancy was very low. I came across a report that was issued by the former Washtenaw Health Department epidemiologist, Adrian Waller, that showed some of these disparities. That report was issued in 2017, and it indicated that Black residents in the county had an average age of death of between 56 and 71 years, and White residents were much, much higher, starting at 72 and going all the way up to 85, depending on the census track.
Lee Van Roth: And this report also is connecting life expectancy to some factors that folks maybe don't always consider when we think of that life expectancy number: things like housing, education, mental health, those kinds of things. Why are those so important to understand when we're looking at these numbers we're seeing right now?
Jeff Tritten: So, social determinants of health basically, are income and housing driven for the most part, access to healthy food, access to transportation and opportunity. And we have an opportunity index in Washtenaw County, and there's also the ALICE index--Asset Limited and Income Constrained but Employed people. And that index also showed the same discrepancies when I parsed out the data by census tract. So, what are you looking for exactly as far as the data is concerned because what we really found is that those overlying factors, diabetes prevalence, income constrained, and reported frequent mental distress, all correlate very closely with lower life expectancy.
Lee Van Roth: Now, the county does issue a community health needs assessment every couple of years to look at those different social determinants of health and try to get a better idea of what areas to focus on to, I would hope, improve that life expectancy number. What are some of the issues that you have noticed from the Washtenaw Optimal Wellness kind of side of things?
Jeff Tritten: So, generally speaking, I appreciate our health department. Like, they do a really good job on so many things, and they have their hands full. So, there's no saying that they're not doing their jobs. There's a lot going on. So, what the primary things that we've noticed, for one, is that we don't have updated data to find out if the things that we've done over the last decade have moved the needle on life expectancy. So, that's probably one of the biggest things. And then, the other thing that I'm just not really sure about is how much has been done to educate people to give them the tools to take control of their health. So, has there been targeted interventions that are culturally appropriate for the Ypsilanti community? And I don't see enough of that. So that, I think, is something that needs a little help, but there's been investment in other programs to reduce poverty, to increase education, to increase access to health care, to build programs that kind of help people gain access to health insurance. And we have a great program that ensures that access to healthy food, right? So, there's a lot of things that we've done. So, we can't say the county hasn't done their job to improve health outcomes.
Lee Van Roth: Sure.
Jeff Tritten: And that's why we have a health equity manager at Washtenaw County Health Department.
Lee Van Roth: And speaking of the education piece, I know that is pretty much the basis over at Washtenaw Optimal Wellness. Well, a lot of the work that you are doing really focuses in on ensuring folks have access to these educational resources to really take charge over their personal health, their family's health. How does that philosophy and that work really shape everything that you're doing at Washtenaw Optimal Wellness?
Jeff Tritten: So, I believe that knowledge is power, and that comes from some personal experience. I had my very serious health issues for a number of years. I was extremely obese. I had a whole bunch of high blood sugar, high pressure, etc. And I was able to put in place knowledge-based, basically, on Blue Zone's principles to take control of my health and to reverse all of that. So, when it comes to education, we believe that that's vitally important for people to. If you don't know, you don't know. If you're just bumping along in life and doing what everyone else around you does and you don't know that you're supposed to eat mostly plants, for example, then life happens.
Lee Van Roth: This is On the Ground Ypsi on 89.1 WEMU. I'm talking with Jeff Tritten of Washtenaw Optimal Wellness about health equity and life expectancy in Ypsi. So, Jeff, looking at both the current data that we have from the health department, awaiting on updated data, in addition to the work that you are doing and other health organizations are doing in the area, what does success look like in, say, another three years, hopefully, once we have that data from the most recent health needs assessment?
Jeff Tritten: So, certainly, success would look like life expectancy numbers increasing.
Lee Van Roth: Sure.
Jeff Tritten: And diabetes prevalence going down, right? Those are two of the things that we looked at to ensure that people are doing better, right? Asthma is another one. That's something that having access to healthcare and clean environments and things like that make a big difference, and I think the county has done a lot for that. But we need data to really find out how much we've moved the needle.
Lee Van Roth: And with the health education piece, are you seeing any potential opportunities for partnerships for Washtenaw Optimal Wellness throughout Ypsi to continue spreading those resources and sort of fill in that gap that we're seeing right now?
Jeff Tritten: So, the answer to that is yes. I mean, every organization sort of has its mission, but, certainly, partnering with various organizations, for example, like Hope Clinic, to educate their patients on the importance of things like plant-based nutrition, restorative sleep and stress management, right? But we're happy to partner with anybody. We've done quite a lot in the senior centers to educate people and give them some of the tools to manage stress and take control of their health.
Lee Van Roth: And I know that you're also doing some programming of your own to both promote a healthier lifestyle, as well as bringing that education directly to people where they're at. You host the "Walk with Friends" event.
Jeff Tritten: Correct.
Lee Van Roth: That's every week, right? About every week?
Jeff Tritten: It is. It's every Saturday morning. We meet downtown Ypsi at Ypsi Marketing and Print Company in Primerica, 105 West Michigan Avenue if anyone wants to join us. But, yeah, we have that opportunity to do another thing beyond just the physical activity, and that's build positive social connections.
Lee Van Roth: And if there is someone listening today who maybe has had a chance to read your report or read the 2017 report or maybe is just looking to live a healthier life themselves, is there anything that you would like them to know about what resources are available and the role that they can play as far as improving their own health outcomes and the health outcomes of others?
Jeff Tritten: So, not meaning to toot our own horn, but Washtenaw Optimal Wellness does have a plethora of health education information on our website, and that's at washtenawoptimalwellness.org. So, taking advantage of some of those resources is important, and, again, I really believe that knowledge is power. Stress plays a major role in life expectancy, and if you can have a few tools to help manage your stress, whether it's breathing techniques or things like that to make you a little bit more present and to help lower the feeling of stress and lower that cortisol that happens when we're under acute stress. But taking advantage of some of those tools, I think, is really important, but you got to take the first step.
Lee Van Roth: Well, Jeff, I want to thank you so much for joining me here today for sharing your personal findings, as well as some opportunities for folks to get involved in taking charge over their own health. And we could all stand, I think, to be a little healthier, maybe make a couple of changes, lifestyle-wise, that would improve things overall. So, it's good to have a place to start!
Jeff Tritten: Absolutely! Yep! There's a lot to be said about living a healthy life!
Lee Van Roth: For more on today's conversation and links to the full article, visit our website at WEMU.org. On the Ground Ypsi is brought to you in partnership with Concentrate Media. I'm Lee Van Roth and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU, Ypsilanti.
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