Alaskans' steps toward health sometimes halting

But just like individuals who don't always follow through on resolutions, Alaska is falling a bit short in some areas -- as state Public Health Director Beverly Wooley acknowledged Monday at the 26th Annual Alaska Health Summit in Anchorage.

Less fat?

Not exactly. The number of overweight and obese Alaska adults grew by 8 percent from 1998 to 2007, Wooley said.

Immunize all children?

The number of 2-year-olds with all their vaccinations actually fell in Alaska, from 81 percent to 70 percent over the same 10-year period.

Curtail sexually transmitted disease?

Not chlamydia, which more than doubled over the decade, from 308 cases per 100,000 Alaskans in 1998 to 733 cases per 100,000 last year.

The numbers for chlamydia -- the most common STD in America that's curable -- might be a bit misleading, Wooley said. A decade ago the state didn't systematically track the disease. Now it does.

"We're doing better screening and we're doing improved reporting," she said.

However, Alaska can boast of several health success stories over the past 10 years. Some of the bright spots:

• Smoking. Adult Alaskans who smoke fell by 20 percent from 1998 to 2007. Wooley credited strict anti-smoking laws that have increased taxes on cigarettes and banned smoking in public places.

• Tobacco-related deaths. There were 7,800 fewer tobacco-related deaths in Alaska last year compared to 1996. As a result, Wooley said, an estimated $290 million was saved by eliminating smoking-related health care costs.

• Heart disease. The incidence of coronary heart disease in Alaska fell from 136 cases per 100,000 Alaskans in 1998 to 78 cases per 100,000 last year. That's largely a result of medical improvements in treating heart disease, Wooley said.

• Hearing. Screening infants within 30 days of birth for hearing problems increased from fewer than 2 in 10 children in Alaska to more than 9 out of 10 children due to a new program. Hearing impairment can lead to speech and learning problems. Early detection allows parents to successfully address the child's needs.

• Traffic deaths. Seat belt use in Alaska -- encouraged by mandatory seat belt laws -- rose by about a third over the past 10 years, from 61 percent to 82 percent. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, seat belts save 11,000 lives a year in the U.S.

Looking forward, Wooley said, the state still needs to reduce disparities between those who receive adequate health care and about 15 percent of Alaskans who are currently uninsured.

Regional and ethnic disparities in health are also a concern, she said. Tuberculosis rates in the northern region of Alaska are four times greater than for the state as a whole. And suicide rates for Alaska Natives still far exceed those for non-Native Alaskans -- even though that rate fell from 45 suicides per 100,000 Native Alaskans in 1998 to 35 per 100,000 last year.

The three-day conference for Alaska health care providers continues today and Wednesday at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel on Sixth Avenue.

Find George Bryson online at adn.com/contact/gbryson or call 257-4318.