In New Hampshire (NH), 54 percent of adults with mobility and/or cognitive disabilities get insufficient daily physical activity. This rate is much higher than the 30 percent of adults without these disabilities who also do not meet minimum U.S. guidelines for exercise. More information on this data and other findings are highlighted in the new NH Disability & Public Health Report.
Released by the NH Disability & Public Health Project (DPH), this year’s concise report provides information on health disparities and health risk factors experienced by individuals with mobility and cognitive limitations in NH. It also suggests strategies that policymakers and program managers can use to establish more inclusive programs and initiatives within the state.
“The new report focuses on key issues, like employment and physical activity, that really impact the health of people with cognitive and/or mobility disabilities,” said Kimberly Phillips, project Co-Investigator and co-author of the report. “We used a much shorter, more graphic representation of the data this year in order to draw people’s attention to the most important findings and policy options that are needed to reduce health disparities in New Hampshire.”
The following policy options address health disparities between NH adults with and without mobility and/or cognitive limitations:
- Encourage healthy eating by providing nutrition education and information in multiple formats, including simple language, high contrast, graphics, and large print
- Promote active lifestyles through inclusive policies and accessible recreation spaces
- Actively recruit and include people with disabilities in mainstream health promotion programs
- Strategize information dissemination to target and include disability communities
- Ensure access to high-quality, affordable health care
- Create more accessible education and employment opportunities
Learn more about the work DPH is engaged in to improve the health and wellness of people with disabilities and how you can get involved at www.nhdisabilityhealth.org.
The NH Disability & Public Health Project (DPH), funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cooperative agreement number 1NU27DD000007, is a collaboration between the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire and the NH Division of Public Health Services (DPHS). The project goal is to improve the health and quality of life of people with disabilities in NH by developing and strengthening the capacity of the state’s public health programs and initiatives to be accessible to and include people with intellectual disabilities and mobility limitations. The contents of this report are the responsibility of DPH staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
