According to HPP Director, Barbara Peppey, the information contained in the study is intended to provide users with a picture of where we stand, highlighting some of our most serious concerns.  "Knowledge is a necessary, but not sufficient basis for taking action.  Community members are encouraged to adopt one or several projects that they feel will help to correct some of our misdirection and move our collective well-being to a better future."

The detailed report, authored by Tyler Frank of cMaine.Net and  Jim Fisher at Hancock County Planning Commission, presents research on the health characteristics of the Blue Hill. Findings include:

Ø      The region is aging as a result of sustained low birth rates, in-migration of retirees and relatively high housing costs that discourage younger families from moving to the area. 

Ø      Major threats to health are closely tied to lifestyle choices.  Obesity, asthma and cardiovascular illness result from years of unhealthy choices and are often chronic and disabling.

Ø      Some choices are affected by the physical environment.  How much we walk or cycle is negatively affected by the dispersed rural character of this region and challenging winter weather.  Diets are affected by prices for fresh fruits and vegetables, school lunch programs with limited financial resources, two-worker families and augmented by a low level of awareness of the consequences of unhealthy diets. 

Ø      Some choices are affected by the social environment.  Smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, reckless driving and unsafe sex are behaviors connected in complex ways to perceptions of local norms and a shortage of healthy recreational opportunities.  Providing alternative activities is particularly challenging in rural communities.

Ø      Our schools, libraries, sports fields and town halls are often closed while people are forced to drive great distances to exercise programs.

The assessment was funded through a grant from the Community Health Program (CHP) in the Maine Bureau of Health.  Says Peppey, "Comprehensive community assessments are part of the vital foundation that guides Healthy Community Coalitions in planning, action and evaluation.  Assessments assist coalitions in understanding their communities and ultimately moving forward to improve overall health and quality of life."

HPP offers support and guidance to schools, businesses and communities interested in promoting healthy lifestyles through the reduction of tobacco use, increased physical activity and better nutrition. To learn more about the organization, call 374- 3257.

To review or download the report

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