Bureau of Health Promotion

The Utah Department of Health (UDOH), Bureau of Health Promotion (BHP) is committed to working with statewide partners to work towards lowering chronic disease and injuries in Utah. Since chronic diseases disproportionately affect older adults, the costs associated with their treatment are frequently shouldered by taxpayers through public programs, especially Medicare. However, many chronic diseases and injuries can be prevented or managed through individual behavior change which can lead to long and healthy lives as well as cost reduction. BHP is comprised of the following programs:

Arthritis Program

Arthritis is a leading cause of disability in Utah, which limits the activities of 193,000 adults. The Utah Arthritis Program is striving to improve the quality of life for people affected by arthritis by working with partners to increase awareness about appropriate arthritis self-management activities and expanding the reach of programs proven to improve the quality of life for people with arthritis.

Asthma Program

Did you know that 8% of people in Utah have asthma?  That means about 1 in 12 Utahns has asthma.  The Asthma Program works with the Utah Asthma Task Force to identify the extent of the asthma problem, implement a statewide plan to reduce the burden of asthma, and partner with other agencies to increase awareness and use of asthma resources.

Cancer Control Program (UCCP)

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Utah. Early detection of some cancers can result in increased survival and decreased health care costs. The program provides breast and cervical cancer screening services and screening for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes for low income women, as well as colon cancer screening and education for low income men and women, while working to improve awareness of the importance of prevention, screenings, and available early detection services for breast, cervical, colorectal, and skin cancers for all Utahns.

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Check Your Health

The Check Your Health media campaign motivates Utahns to “Eat Healthy, Be Active!”  Check Your Health encourages all Utah families to make healthy food choices, to develop a regular family mealtime, use correct portion sizes and to get at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.

Tobacco Prevention and Control Program

Tobacco use is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and low birth weight infants. Nationally, tobacco use remains the primary risk behavior leading to death, and in Utah, tobacco claims the lives of 1,150 annually. Prevention and cessation programs provide the means for non-users to never start tobacco use and for users to reduce/quit tobacco use. The program applies multi-component approaches to develop and coordinate tobacco prevention and cessation interventions provided in every Utah community by local health departments and other community agencies.

Violence and Injury Prevention (VIPP)

Injuries are the # 1 cause of death of Utahns ages 1-44 and a leading cause of death among Utahns of all ages. The program collects data and provides prevention resources on child deaths, child abuse and maltreatment, dating and domestic violence, motor vehicle crashes, falls among older adults, prescription drug overdoses, rapes and sexual assaults, student injuries, suicides, traumatic brain injuries, and violent deaths in Utah. The program is the lead agency for Utah Safe Kids and coordinates with other community programs to provide free or reduced cost car and booster seats for children. The program contracts with local health departments to provide: car seat checks, free or reduced cost car and booster; programs and resources to improve seat belt use and teen driving behaviors; and other injury prevention activities. The program funds Rape Crises and Prevention Centers to provide sexual assault primary prevention services. The program also links individuals with traumatic brain injuries and their families to resources in their community and contracts with 501(c) (3) charitable clinics to provide rehabilitation services to individuals with spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries.