The Union County Health Department, located in Marysville, Ohio, serves a rural community of over 54,000 residents. Union County’s poverty rate is 7.7%, and 11% of residents do not have health insurance. Despite the percentage of residents with no health insurance and its poverty rate, Union County residents’ average life expectancy is on par with national averages (~76 years for men and ~80 years for women).

Union County, like many other communities across the United States, is seeing a steady uptick in residents lacking physical activity, obesity, and the risk factors associated with heart disease and shortened lifespans. Specifically, in data from the 2018 Union County Health Assessment, 38% of adults are considered obese and 29% overweight, while 1 in 7 adults did not participate in any physical activity within the past week, and only 53% of youth participated in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day on 5 or more days in the past week. Another area of concern was a lack of access to opportunities for physical activity, particularly in the more rural parts of the county. These trends and lack of access have played a role in increased rates of high blood cholesterol (38%), high blood pressure (28%), and other overall poorer health outcomes among residents.

To combat these trends and improve health outcomes, the Union County Health Department’s Creating Healthy Communities program (UCHD-CHC) worked closely with community partners to develop projects that address the underlying policy, systems, and environmental changes needed to improve residents’ health in the areas of healthy eating, and physical activity. Further review with residents and our rural community partners in the Village or Richwood revealed a desire to develop a trail in a local park in order to increase opportunities for physical activity. This led to the development of partnerships, a strong local trail coalition, and ultimately, a multimillion-dollar trail project.

The interest in improving the Richwood Lake Park through the development of a multiuse trail had been locally led by a few enthusiastic residents since 2013. The UCHD-CHC program, while investigating strategies to overcome higher than average rates of obesity and chronic disease risk factors, heard about the desire for a trail, and partnered with the resident group, and also applied and received a technical assistance grant from the National Park Service-Rivers, Trails and Conservation division. Working collaboratively, the new conglomeration of coalition members engaged the community through public meetings, surveying, and events to garner support, assistance in developing the plan, and ultimately, the groundwork for a multiuse trail was established. Beginning in early 2015, all the aforementioned partners formed a formal coalition, called the Richwood Trailblazers, and with the use of guides, such as the CDC and National Park Service’s “Parks, Trails, and Health Workbook”, an action plan for trail implementation was formed. As plans for the trail began to solidify, the Village contracted with an engineering firm to assist in bringing the team’s ideas to life. Every step of the process, from idea to implementation, was reviewed by the coalition and shared with the community to garner feedback and approval of the project. Over the course of three years, the coalition and its partners, were able to secure a total of over two million dollars in order to construct a 1.2-mile trail. The Richwood Trailblazers continue to oversee new park developments, and also offer programming and events to encourage physical activity and foster a sense of community.

The creation of the trail required dedicated support from residents and technical guidance from partners before the trail could be established. The installation of the trail also required a set of objectives such as seeking public input, fund-seeking, and the establishment of timelines. Since its completion, the trail has seen over a 360% increase in use between a partial segment of the trail being completed in 2017, and the fully completed trail in 2018. The trail project also successfully completed all of its established objectives, and the Trailblazers and partners continue to develop strategies for sustainability, programming, and promotion of the trail. The success of the trail can be attributed to the leadership and collaboration of the Trailblazers, and technical assistance from partnering organizations. As the trail and park continue to be improved through new amenities and programs, the long-term impact will be measured by awareness and use of the trail, a decreased prevalence of chronic diseases and risk factors that lead to said diseases, and overall increased physical activity by residents.

www.uchd.net

Small Town, Big Heart: How a Grassroots Effort Changed the Landscape and Health of a Community

Category

Description

Winner Status