A follow up on the TriCounty Health Adverse Birth Outcomes study, originally released in 2015, confirms that TriCounty Health rates remain in the same range as the state average. Sam LeFevre of the Utah Department of Health Environmental Epidemiology Program presented two additional years of statistical review to the TriCounty Board of Health on Wednesday. LeFevre identified risk factors that are high for the TriCounty area including low weight of mother, inadequate health care, tobacco use, recreational drug use, and maternal diabetes. After controlling for the maternal factors, the risk ratios for each category of Adverse Birth Outcomes was very close to the state’s risk. “This suggests to us that the best public health action is to continue to reduce maternal risks,” concluded LeFevre. TriCounty Health Director Jordan Mathis thanked Mr. LeFevre and his team and stated that TriCounty Health will continue their work of addressing maternal factors utilizing programs to reduce teen pregnancy and tobacco use, among others. He recommended the board have another follow up in two more years as it helps the health department assess if their current programs are making a difference.
