Arthritis and obesity are common co-morbidities, and arthritis has been implicated as a potential barrier to physical activity among adults with obesity. This report aims to further investigate the interplay between arthritis, obesity, and levels of physical activity.

As of 2011, more than 1 million Coloradans were considered obese. Obesity can be caused by several factors including genetics, metabolism, personal behaviors, culture, and socioeconomic status. Recent studies have shown that obesity rates in rural areas are often higher than urban areas in the U.S. 5 Rural areas in Colorado have been associated with a number of disparities in health and access to health services, including higher rates of motor vehicle...

Gastroschisis is a congenital (birth) defect of the abdominal wall in which the baby's intestines, and sometimes other abdominal organs, protrude from the belly through a small hole. Colorado's rates of gastroschisis reflect this increasing trend. In 1994, the prevalence rate was 2.78 per 10,000 live births, and increased to 3.54 per 10,000 live births in 2011. Rates of gastroschisis are particularly high among younger mothers, including teen moms....

Public health officials in collaboration with other health professionals are closely monitoring the patterns of use, particularly among adolescents and youth for whom marijuana use is illegal, and who might be at a greater risk of adverse physical and mental health outcomes than adult marijuana users. A growing body of literature suggests certain areas of the brain continue to develop well into a person's twenties and that adolescent use of substances,...

Nationally and in Colorado, opioid use disorders have emerged as a significant public health concern. Starting in the 1990s, opioid prescriptions (or, pain medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and their combination with acetaminophen) began to rise nationwide. The dramatic increase in use has been associated with dependency, addiction, and other adverse health events including, but not limited to: heroin use disorders, spread of hepatitis...

In Colorado and throughout the nation there are growing and concerted public health efforts to reduce suicide and other preventable deaths. On the continuum of mental health care usage and suicide risk are those who have struggled with some form of criminal legal problem. This is a population that has an especially high risk of suicide. Those exiting the criminal justice system on probation have been shown to have significantly higher suicide rates...