By the Numbers: A Public Health Podcast
By the Numbers is a public health podcast by the Polk County Health Department in Polk County, Iowa. In each episode of By the Numbers, we dig into a single health-related data point and talk about the bigger picture this data paints for those affected and for our communities. We’ll be joined by local experts to talk about topics like sexually transmitted infections, cancer rates, mental health, communicable diseases and more.
By the Numbers is hosted by Addie Olson, Public Health Communications Officer with the Polk County Health Department.
Listen to By the Numbers on your favorite podcast platform, or watch each episode on YouTube: youtube.com/@PolkCountyIowaGovt
Episodes
10 episodes
Community Health Needs Assessment series: Part 3 - Food Security
In this special edition of By the Numbers, we dive into part three of a three-episode series about the 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) that was completed in Dallas, Polk, and Warren Counties. The 2024 CHNA revealed th...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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39:46
Community Health Needs Assessment series: Part 2 - Housing
In this special edition of By the Numbers, we dive into part two of a three-episode series about the 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) that was completed in Dallas, Polk, and Warren Counties. The 2024 CHNA revealed that...
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47:27
Community Health Needs Assessment series: Part 1 - Financial Stability
In this special edition of By the Numbers, we kick off a three-episode series about the 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) that was completed in Dallas, Polk, and Warren Counties. In part one, we learn what the assessment is, and exp...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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24:49
The Hidden Crisis: Domestic Violence
According to a report from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, more than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in Iowa have experienced rape, physical viol...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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23:12
Iowa's Record Number of Tornadoes and How to Be Prepared
Iowa has had a record 122 tornadoes in 2024. In this episode of By the Numbers, we dive into how to be prepared for emergencies like natural disasters with two local experts. We hear about the personal experience of a family who lost everything...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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27:32
Rising Cancer Rates and Polk County's Ribbons of Hope
Iowa has the 2nd highest rate of new cancers in the U.S. In this episode of By the Numbers, Addie talks to Kari Lebeda Townsend, Disease Prevention Supervisor with the Polk County Health Department (PCHD). Kari dives into Iowa's rising cancer r...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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20:38
Opioids, Overdose, and Harm Reduction
One in three people reported knowing someone who died of an overdose per a recent report from the Journal of the American Medical Association, and 18 percent of people say the person they lost was a family member or close friend. I...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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32:07
Talk It Up, Lock It Up: Gun Safety Saves Lives
In August of 2023, the Polk County Health Department launched a gun safety campaign called Talk It Up, Lock It Up. In the first year of the campaign, more than 1,700 free gun locks have been distributed across Polk County. In this episode of By...
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26:57
The Syphilis Surge
Nationally, syphilis cases increased by nearly 80% between 2018 and 2022. In Iowa, there was a 210% increase in syphilis cases during that same timeframe. In this episode of By the Numbers, we break down the syphilis surge with Melissa Brown, a...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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22:57
Childhood Immunizations
In 2023, nearly six percent of students in Polk County were not fully vaccinated when the Polk County Health Department completed its countywide audit. What does this number mean? In our first episode of By the Numbers, we're joined by the Heal...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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22:18