Douglas County is the latest community to partner with Oregon Health & Science University’s Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness for a statewide effort to end chronic disease through healthy food.
Called the Nutrition Oregon Campaign, the effort consists of a network of regional hubs located in four Oregon communities. Each hub works to achieve its own local goal that is tied to the campaign’s overarching vision of using the power of nutrition to end chronic disease for all — and especially for those who are most at risk for experiencing health disparities.
While Douglas County hub leaders are still finalizing their plans, their current proposed goal: By 2033, have all babies in Douglas County be born at a healthy weight, which is a key indicator for lifelong health outcomes. According to the Oregon Health Authority, 64.3 babies per 1,000 born in Douglas County in 2021 had a low birth weight.
“The Nutrition Oregon Campaign’s ability to translate complex medical science into simple, practical community action is truly inspiring. I love that Douglas County is joining a network of communities all striving to combat chronic disease in audacious ways,” said Jessica Hand, M.P.H., executive director of Thrive Umpqua, a community well-being initiative.
In 2016, the OHSU Moore Institute began developing the campaign in collaboration with other communities and organizations throughout Oregon to combat chronic disease, which has far-reaching consequences for individuals, communities and the entire nation. The OHSU Moore Institute serves as the backbone organization, providing capacity building, leadership development, resources, education and funding support.
The Nutrition Oregon Campaign is grounded in the science of Developmental Origins of Health & Disease, in which OHSU is an international leader. Decades of research have shown that poor access to quality nutrition and exposure to social inequities before and during pregnancy, as well as during the first years of life, increase people’s risk for developing chronic disease — both for the current generation, and for future generations.
In May, the hub’s leadership team hosted a launch event for the Douglas County campaign hub at Aviva Health in Roseburg. The event brought together nearly 40 people representing schools, health care, public health, nutrition education and community-based organizations interested in learning more about the Nutrition Oregon Campaign’s work. During the event, OHSU Moore Institute Director Emeritus Kent Thornburg, Ph.D., presented on the link between low birth weight and risk for developing chronic disease in adulthood.
The information gathered during the event will be used to lay the groundwork for developing the hub, and help identify the specific steps that are needed to reach the hub’s goal. The leadership team will work with the community to test the proposed goal and ensure it is aligned with existing work.
Thrive Umpqua will serve as the host organization to convene the Douglas County Nutrition Oregon Campaign hub and work with a local leadership team made up of representatives from key community organizations, including Oregon State University Extension Service, United Community Action Network, Douglas ESD Take Root Parenting Connection, Health Care Coalition of Southern Oregon, and Umpqua Community Veg Education Group. OHSU South Coast Community Research Liaison Danita Tracy-Carter is coordinating the local hub’s efforts.
“The Nutrition Oregon Campaign is a natural progression of the work Douglas County has done through the Blue Zones Project and Thrive Umpqua to improve community health,” said OHSU Moore Institute Director Leslie Myatt, Ph.D., FRCOG. “We are excited to welcome them and support their work.”
The Nutrition Oregon Campaign’s three other regional hubs are located in the Western Treasure Valley (based in Ontario, in Eastern Oregon), Klamath County in Southern Oregon, and Yamhill County in Northwestern Oregon.
