Frequently Asked Questions

farmer at tableWhat is SHIP?
Why do we need SHIP?
How do risk factors relate to health care costs?
How does SHIP help?
What makes SHIP different from other prevention programs?
What is meant by "policy, systems and environmental change"?
How will Minnesota look different because of SHIP?
How will we know if SHIP is effective?

What is SHIP?
The goal of the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) is to help Minnesotans live longer, healthier lives by preventing the leading causes of chronic disease: tobacco and obesity.

SHIP launched as part of Minnesota’s Vision for a Better State of Health, the bipartisan health reform package enacted in 2008. SHIP makes it easier for Minnesotans to choose healthier behaviors by making changes in the places where we live, learn, work and play. 

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Why do we need SHIP?
As a public health agency, MDH believes we must address the top three preventable causes of illness and death in the U.S.: tobacco use/exposure, physical inactivity and poor nutrition.

  • These three factors have been estimated to cause 35 percent of all deaths in the U.S., or 800,000 deaths each year.
  • Chronic diseases account for an estimated 75 percent of health care spending in the U.S.
  • In Minnesota, nearly two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. The percent of children who are overweight or obese is also rising.
  • Less than a quarter of Minnesota adults eat at least five fruits and vegetables each day.
  • Only slightly more than half of Minnesota adults get at least a moderate level of exercise.  
  • Seventeen percent of Minnesota adults are current smokers, and many others are subjected to secondhand smoke.

In order to make an impact, SHIP relies on current research and best practices as developed by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other leaders in health improvement.

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How do risk factors relate to health care costs?
Studies prove that risk factors such as tobacco use and obesity increase health care costs. A HealthPartners study of over 5,000 adult enrollees in 1995-1996 found that:

  • Each additional unit of BMI increased medical charges by nearly 2 percent.
  • A history of tobacco use was associated with 26 percent higher medical charges.
  • Each additional day of physical activity per week reduced medical charges by almost 5 percent.

A national study found that 27 percent of health care charges for adults over age 40 are associated with people being physically inactive, overweight and/or obese. Per capita private health insurance spending for obese adults was $1,272 higher than that for normal weight adults in 2002.

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How does SHIP help?
In 2009 SHIP grants were awarded to all 53 community health boards and nine of 11 tribal governments across Minnesota. Grantees worked their communities to employ evidence-based strategies to make “policy, systems and environmental changes” in four settings:

  • Schools
  • Communities
  • Worksites
  • Health Care Systems

In the fall of 2011, after two successful years, SHIP is in the process of planning for the next two years. 

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What makes SHIP different from other prevention programs?
Some prevention programs focus on individual behavior change. Behavior change from these efforts can be difficult to sustain beyond the life of the program or the individual’s involvement in the program. But behavior change can be maintained if the environment supports it. SHIP aims to create sustainable, systemic changes that make it easier for Minnesotans to choose healthy behaviors.

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What is meant by "policy, systems and environmental change"?
Policy, systems and environmental changes are broad, behind-the-scenes changes that make it easier for people to incorporate healthy behaviors into their daily lives.

  • Policy interventions include changes in laws and regulations, such as restricting smoking in public buildings and providing time off during work hours for physical activity.
  • Systems interventions create change in organizations and institutions, such as a school district implementing food preparation options or offering more time in physical education in all schools in the district.
  • Environmental interventions include decisions about land use, zoning and community design, such as ensuring that neighborhoods have access to healthy foods and there are ample opportunities for activities such as walking and biking.

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How will Minnesota look different because of SHIP?

  • More communities will be biking and walking friendly as a result of community design.
  • More children will be walking and biking to school.
  • More residents will have access to high quality, nutritious foods in their communities through Farm to School programs, healthy school meals/snacks, grocery and corner stores, and farmers markets.
  • More employees will have healthy vending in their worksite.
  • More post-secondary campuses will be tobacco-free.
  • More parks and outdoor recreation facilities will be tobacco-free.

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How will we know if SHIP is effective?
The changes implemented through SHIP will require considerable time and effort, so large-scale, population-based changes in health behaviors will take time to emerge.

Nonetheless, evaluation and effective outcomes are an essential component of SHIP. Both the Minnesota Department of Health and individual SHIP grantees will measure outcomes of the program. Measurements will provide information about:

  • Health care costs.
  • Risk factors of tobacco use/exposure and obesity and related chronic disease.
  • Individual health behaviors linked to tobacco use/exposure and obesity.
  • Policy, systems and environmental changes that are proven to reduce tobacco use/exposure and obesity.
  • Activities that move local communities toward those changes.

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Updated Friday, 13-Apr-2012 15:59:28 CDT