Dean Wykoff Comments on Health Behaviors in Appalachia

Dr. Randy Wykoff, Dean of East Tennessee State University’s College of Public Health, provided insight into how education drives health behavior at a two-day conference titled “Promoting Mental Health in Appalachia.”  The highlights of the conference were summarized in a Psychiatric News article titled APA Collaborates to Promote Mental Health in Appalachia.

The conference, held in October in Johnson City, Tennessee, was sponsored by the American Psychiatric Association’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity, East Tennessee State University, the University of Virginia, George Washington University, and Healthy Appalachia. The program focused on some of the most underserved and underaccessed U.S. populations.

In a presentation on the social determinants of health in Appalachia, Randy Wykoff, M.D., dean of ETSU, noted that the rate of premature death (defined as dying before age 65) in central Appalachian counties is 28 percent higher than the rest of the United States. Of the five factors affecting premature death—genetics, environment, social circumstances, access to health care, and behavioral factors—access to health care accounts for only 10 percent.

During his remarks, Dr. Wykoff emphasized that sustainable change in health outcomes in Appalachia requires attention to addressing the social determinants of health—especially education, employment, and poverty. He advocated for public health workers to collaborate with educators and employers, including unconventional partners such as local chambers of commerce, to improve the health of the region’s residents.

“We need to work together to encourage healthier behaviors, especially related to tobacco, diet, exercise, and substance abuse,” Dr. Wykoff said. “We need to work together to enhance economic opportunity and improve educational achievement.”