PUEBLO, COLO. -- Teen pregnancy and teen birth rate are two items officials with the Pueblo City-County Health Department said are top priorities for the next five years.
In a statement released by the department Wednesday, officials said obesity and teen/unintended pregnancies were the top two priorities.
Adult obesity is six percent higher (26 percent) in Pueblo than in Colorado (20 percent), and teen intended pregnancy is 15.1 percent higher (42.8 percent in Pueblo, 27.7 percent in Colorado).
The birth rate among teens in Pueblo is 60.4 per 1,000, while the state average is 37.5 per 1,000.
"Many organizations and individuals in Pueblo are passionate and already working on these issues," Board of Health member and Health Assessment Steering Committee member Eileen Dennis said. "The input from the community has been incredibly helpful in guiding the process of a community health assessment and identifying Pueblo County’s top public health issues for the next five years."
The assessment referenced by Dennis involved the community and key stakeholders in the city and helped officials identify the biggest health issues. The assessment comes from Senate Bill 08-194, which requires health departments to conduct assessments every five years.
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