Two distinguished nurses and 14 students will be recognized May 4 at the annual Nursing Excellence Awards event presented by InterAct for Change and the Deaconess Associations Foundation.

One way to assess a people's health is to ask them to rate their own health. The Ohio Health Issues Poll (OHIP) asked, "In general, would you say your health is excellent, very good, good, fair or poor?" Research has found a powerful link between people's response to this question and the predicted length and quality of their lives. OHIP found that nearly half of Ohio adults (47 percent) reported that their health was excellent or very good. This has remained stable since 2008. About 3 in 10 said their health was good, and 2 in 10 reported fair or poor health.

Younger Ohio adults were more likely to report excellent or very good health. Nearly 7 in 10 adults ages 18 to 29 reported excellent or very good health. Only 4 in 10 adults 30 or older reported excellent or very good health.

Finance Fund Capital Corp. developed Healthy Food for Ohio to increase access to affordable, fresh food in underserved areas, improve the diets and health of Ohio residents, and spur economic development and revitalization. The program is a public-private partnership that provides financing for costs and credit needs not typically filled by conventional financial institutions. It helps healthy food retailers overcome funding gaps and barriers that keep them from locating in areas where they are needed most. 

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources offers several grants to local governments and other groups wishing to increase recreational opportunities. Applications are currently being accepted for the Clean Ohio Trails Fund and Recreational Trails Program. Click here for more information or to apply.

Action for Healthy Kids combats childhood obesity, undernourishment and physical inactivity by helping schools become healthier places where kids can live healthier lives. The organization has issued requests for proposals for its 2016-17 Breakfast for Healthy Kids and Game on Grants programs.

One in 4 people will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. Friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers are the best first contacts for someone and can act as an important conduit to care. Do you know the signs and symptoms of someone who is struggling with a mental health challenge? Mental Health First Aid, a groundbreaking public health training, can teach you the knowledge and skills to help others and stop the shame and stigma of mental illness.

Mental Health First Aid Tristate is teaching these valuable skills right here in our region. Like the group's Facebook page (facebook.com/mhfatristate) to learn more about its programs and get updates about local Mental Health First Aid opportunities. And follow the group on Twitter, @TristateMHFA.

Upcoming community trainings:

Adult MHFA: Saturday, April 2, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., LADD Inc., 3603 Victory Pkwy., Cincinnati, OH 45229. Presented by NAMI Urban Greater Cincinnati. Cost: $50 (a savings of $120). To register click here.

Adult MHFA: Friday, April 22, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Interact For Health, 3805 Edwards Road, Suite 500, Cincinnati, OH 45209. Cost: $60 (a savings of $110). To register click here.

Our own Jennifer Chubinski, vice president for innovation and learning, recently taped a video with the Cincinnati Recreation Commission encouraging young adults to become lifeguards this summer. Jennifer is a former lifeguard herself. Click here to watch the video.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016: Girls on the Run International is celebrating 20 years of empowering young females, and the organization is calling on the public to help celebrate, including Cincinnati's 5k run on May 5.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016: The Center for Great Neighborhoods is seeking applicants for its fourth round of Creative Community Grants intended to engage and impact Covington for the better; application deadline is May 2.

More than 97% of U.S. residents do not live a comprehensive healthy lifestyle, according to a recent study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The study measured healthy lifestyles based on four "principles of healthy living," including moderate exercise, a healthy diet, not smoking and maintaining a healthy percentage of body fat. According to the study, 46% of respondents met exercise standards, 38% followed healthy diets, 10% had normal body fat percentages and 71% did not smoke. However, the study found that just 2.7% of individuals achieved all four measures (Preidt, HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report, 3/23). Click here for the study. Click here for the HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report article.

Elementary schools in the U.S. are offering more healthy food options, according to a study published March 17 in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease. The study found that among more than 4,600 schools participating in the U.S. National School Lunch Program, food quality improved significantly between 2006-2007 and 2013-2014. For example, cafeterias started offering more vegetables, fresh fruit, salad bars, whole grains and healthy pizza options. However, the study found some disparities based on race of student populations and areas where schools were located. For example, schools with a majority of black or Hispanic students were less likely to offer fresh fruit than schools with mostly white students (Reinberg, HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report, 3/17). Click here for the study. Click here for the HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report article.

Quitting smoking "cold turkey" could be the best way to kick the habit, according to study published March 14 in the Annals of Internal Medicine (Dotinga, HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report, 3/14). For the study, researchers told one group of smokers to continue their current smoking habits for two weeks and then quit smoking abruptly, while a second group was told to reduce their smoking gradually for two weeks, at which point they would completely stop smoking (Oaklander, Time, 3/14). The study found that 39.2% of gradual quitters had not started smoking again at four weeks, compared with 49% of abrupt quitters. Meanwhile, 15.5% of gradual smokers had not started smoking again at six months, compared with 22% of abrupt quitters (Healy, "Science Now," Los Angeles Times, 3/14). Click here for the HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report article. Click here for the Time article. Click here for the Los Angeles Times' "Science Now" article.

The Kentucky Senate on March 15 voted 28-10 to pass a bill (HB 160) that would establish guidelines for disposing hypodermic needles and require needle exchange programs to adopt a "one-for-one" swap policy. Supporters say the change could facilitate more interactions with health officials. However, other stakeholders have raised concerns that the bill does not account for individuals who share needles. About six counties in the state have established needle exchange programs to help stem the spread of HIV and hepatitis C, as well as to encourage treatment (Schreiner, AP/Sacramento Bee, 3/15). Click here for the bill. Click here for the AP/Sacramento Bee article.

In an effort to address substance use disorders in the U.S., FDA on March 22 announced that it will require "black box" warnings on certain prescription opioids (Tavernise, New York Times, 3/22). The new labels will include warnings about the risk of addiction, misuse, overdose and death associated with more than 200 so-called immediate-release opioid painkillers, including hydrocodone and oxycodone (Bernstein, "To Your Health," Washington Post, 3/22). According to CDC, almost two million U.S. residents ages 12 and older in 2014 either misused or were considered to be dependent on prescription opioids (Grover/Banerjee, Reuters, 3/22). Click here for the announcement. Click here for the New York Times article. Click here for the Washington Post's "To Your Health" article. Click here for the Reuters article.