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...

Suicide is a public health issue of significant concern nationally and in the state of Colorado. The adolescent population is a particularly vulnerable group which is in many ways less understood than adults, and whose suicides rank high in terms of years of life lost. Additionally, suicides in this population could be more easily preventable through parental interaction and limiting access to lethal means.

The home environment is commonly considered to be a place of safety and comfort for people. However harmful exposures can occur in the home and some Colorado populations have increased risk to these exposures. Unhealthy housing conditions from radon and secondhand smoke exposures occur disproportionately within Colorado populations, resulting in health equity and environmental justice issues.

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,...

Colorado had the seventh highest suicide rate (19.1 deaths per 100,000 population) among all states. In 2013, suicide was the seventh leading cause of death in Colorado. From 2009 to 2013, there were 4,654 suicide deaths in Colorado, outnumbering deaths by motor vehicle accident, unintentional poisoning, falls or homicide.

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...

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic or stressful experiences, such as abuse, which occur during childhood or adolescence. Existing research shows that these negative early life experiences have long-lasting effects on an individual's well-being. However, the burden of these experiences among Colorado adults was previously unknown. Results from the initial recruitment phase showed that ACEs are common, with nearly two-thirds of participants...

Excessive alcohol use contributes to an estimated 1,633 deaths annually in Colorado, which is an average of almost five deaths each day. A portion of these alcohol-attributable deaths include deaths by suicide. Research has shown that excessive alcohol use is associated with increased suicide risk. Suicide continues to be a critical public health concern both nationally and in Colorado.

Year to year, homelessness continues to be a challenge facing the United States. It is estimated that on a given night in January 2016, 549,928 people were experiencing homelessness in the U.S. About 10,550 homeless individuals were located in Colorado, representing a 6 percent increase in the homeless population in Colorado from 2015. Not only are the homelessness rates rising in Colorado, but morbidity and mortality rates have also been shown to...