Health Fair Covers Many Topics For Area Students

Advocates from around the area spoke to local students during a health fair conducted at the Thundering Buffalo Health and Wellness Center in Poplar on Thursday, April 20.

Christian Curtis, nurse for Fort Peck Reservation’s Health Promotion Disease Prevention program, said, “The schools asked us to put a health fair on.”

The event was well attended with students from Wolf Point’s Northside, Poplar, Brockton and Frazer listening to the information provided at each of the booths.

Curtis was thrilled that the health fair featured 26 booths throughout the day.

Some of the booths were Northeast Montana Health Services, diabetes education, telemedicine, tobacco prevention, water safety and dental health.

“We have almost every topic,” Curtis said.

Paula Ciniero, a nurse for HPDP, provided a popular offering covering the benefits of yoga. She taught the students different yoga poses.

“It strengthens and helps massage your organs,” Ciniero said of some benefits. “It increases your fitness and strength.”

She added that mental benefits of yoga include stress relief.

Susan Parker, program director, and An’Julie Cantrell, elder advocate, were on hand to provide information about the Red Bird Woman Center.

Parker said support services are available for cases such as domestic violence, elder abuse, rape, child sexual abuse, teen dating violence, neglect and human trafficking.

On-call advocates are available at all times by calling 406-653-1494.

“Some are afraid to report. That’s why we try to get out as much awareness as possible,” Parker said.

They stress that domestic violence is caused by the actions of the abuser not the person being abused. Younger women between the ages of 16-24 are most likely to be victimized. In more than 85 percent of the cases, victims are women and abusers are men, but domestic violence can and does happen to males. Intimate partner relationships should be about respect not power and control masked as love.

As far as tobacco use prevention, information was available regarding the My Life, My Quit program. My Life, My Quit is aimed toward youth under the age of 18. Individuals can text 36072, call 855-891-9989 or chat online with a coach at www.mylifemyquit. com Coaches help individuals develop a game plan, cope with stress, learn about nicotine and get on-going support.