FARMINGTON – A survey of greater Franklin County area residents has linked obesity to being poor.

The Healthy Community Coalition conducted a survey last fall during the Farmington Fair that indicated “having insufficient money to pay your bills” and “no transportation” are risk factors for obesity in this region.

A history of high blood pressure was another significant factor associated with obesity.

Results of the survey showed the need to address factors associated with obesity as well as socio-economic factors specific to rural Maine, Coalition senior evaluator Kathleen Welch said.

She presented the Wilton based organization’s research at the 2004 International Conference on Community Indicators in Nevada last month.

Coalition members conducted the cost-effective survey to measure behavioral risk factors associated with chronic diseases, such as obesity.

The results showed that one-third or 32.4 percent of the 389 anonymous adults surveyed were obese: a self-reported body mass index greater than or equal to 30, Welch said. The National Institutes of Health lists normal BMI readings as between 18 and 25.

The survey was made up of questions taken from recognized sources as well as questions deemed appropriate.

Coalition members queried 589 people 18 or older from the Franklin County area including Livermore, Livermore Falls and Vienna and received 389 completed surveys. The region has 44,244 people and is classified as “very rural” with just 17.4 people per square mile with a median household income of $31,459. The latter is lower than the state median income of $37,240 and the national level of $41,994, according to Welch’s study.

It is estimated that four people in Franklin County and Maine die every day from the underlying causes of obesity, poor nutrition and lack of physical activity, according to information gathered by Welch.

The characteristics of people filling out the survey were 97.7 percent white, median age 43 years, 18.5 percent college graduates, 55.5 percent employed full-time, 55.3 percent married and 30.7 percent received low-income benefits or assistance.

The survey that was completed by nearly an equal amount of men and women also indicated that 47 percent of the children in the area live in low-income families.

In an effort to resolve some of the issues, the Coalition recommends that more work sites provide supportive and well-balanced environments that promote healthy eating, flexible hours, stress reduction and exercise.

The Coalition is focusing on promoting health in work sites and increasing the number of worksites that offer work breaks for physical activity.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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