Obesity, cancer and problems with health insurance or health care are three of the top four issues Kentucky adults believe are the most important health concerns in the state, according to the first report of the Kentucky Health Issues Poll to be released this year.

Hunger and malnutrition rounded out the list of concerns for children, while heart disease made the top-four lists for men and women.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity rates have been climbing for Kentucky high school students – 18.5 percent in 2015 compared to 16.5 percent in 2011 – and adults – 34.6 percent in 2015 compared to 30.4 percent in 2011. Obesity rates declined slightly for children ages 2 to 4 – 13.5 percent in 2015 compared to 15.6 in 2011. Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky has focused on childhood obesity by providing funding, training and technical assistance to six community health coalitions working on the issue in Kentucky under its Investing in Kentucky’s Future initiative, according to a news release.

Obesity keeps coming up as a top health issue, according to Barren River District Health Department Health Improvement Branch Manager Diane Sprowl.

Sprowl said the health department has several programs to help tackle the issue.

“There is individual nutrition counseling. It’s also available through The Medical Center,” she said. “It’s a good opportunity to work with a meal plan to lose weight. Physical activity and nutrition are two pieces with weight modifications.”

For nutritional counseling in Warren County, contact Holly Haynes at 270-781-8039, ext. 136. The service is covered by Medicaid and for certain diagnoses with Medicare. For those with neither, sliding scale fees are used. Those who desire nutritional counseling in other counties in the health department’s service area can call their county’s health department.

The department offers the National Diabetes Prevention Program, the only evidenced-based program to help people with prediabetes. Cost is $300 and free for those with state employee Anthem insurance. In Warren County, the health department does the program with assistance from The Medical Center. To register, call Melissa Waldron at 270-781-8039, ext. 130.

“It’s a year-long program for people who have prediabetes. It starts out with 16 weeks of weekly group meetings that teach people about lifestyle changes,” Sprowl said. “They keep diaries and increase activity. The group support is valuable at that point. Then they start meeting monthly. What they’re finding is people lose 10 percent of their body weight, which is significant for preventing diabetes.”

The health department is working toward being recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for its programs, Sprowl said.

“It’s so common we don’t think about it,” Sprowl said of diabetes. “It can cause heart disease, blindness, loss of limbs and disability. It can cause extreme damage over time. One of the ways to prevent it is to lose excess weight.”

The health department also has Healthier You, a free 16-week class for anyone who wants to get healthier, Sprowl said.

“It’s contagious health. We get them to have competitions and support each other. Those sessions are really fun,” she said. “The feedback I’m getting is that participants have been having fun.”

Cancer and heart disease ranked first and second, respectively, for the top health concerns for men and women, according to the news release. Cancer and heart disease are leading causes of death for both Kentucky men and women, according to the CDC.

Health Department Director of Nursing Julia Davidson Deeb said the department offers women’s cancer screenings, including gynecological exams, clinical breast exams, education on self-breast exams, referring women to mammograms depending on age or risk factors, cervical cancer screenings and education on the importance of prevention, which includes HPV vaccinations.

“We’ve done some work with the community to increase awareness of HPV. Males and females should get the vaccine at age 11 or 12, but it can be given as early as 9 or up to age 26,” she said. “It’s a three-dose series given over the course of six months. You can get it at the health department or at your doctor’s office.”

HPV vaccinations prevent cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus, back of the throat and tonsils, Deeb said.

“It’s a very common virus. It’s estimated that 80 percent of people have been exposed to the virus …,” she said.

The health department campaigned with local schools and providers to raise awareness, Davidson Deeb said. Health insurance and Medicaid cover the vaccine.

“The best protection against HPV infection is vaccination during childhood, long before a person is exposed to infection. Early detection is important for good outcomes of treatment,” she said. “It’s a major concern for everyone. My best advice is prevention using the HPV vaccine, regular screening and early detection.”

— For more information about HPV, visit cdc.gov/hpv.

— Follow features reporter Alyssa Harvey on Twitter @bgdnfeatures or visit bgdailynews.com.