Why is This Important?

Neighborhood characteristics, social factors, and opportunities to engage in healthy activities are among the most important factors shaping community health. Just as toxic substances in and around homes can directly impact residents' health, so does the width of sidewalks, proximity to parks and grocery stores and the availability of affordable housing. Social factors such as class, culture, race, and education are also key drivers determining the amount of stress or security individuals experience, the neighborhoods where they live, and the opportunities available to engage in healthy behaviors, all factors that result in health inequities by race/ethnicity and income.

What is a Sustainable State?

A sustainable state is one where all people have the opportunity to live a healthy and long life and the prevalence of preventable disease decreases over time. A sustainable state is achieved when where you live and who you are does not determine how healthy you are or how long you will live.

How Are We Doing?

Chronic Illness
Chronic illnesses are long lasting and costly. Increased rates of preventable chronic illnesses indicate a preponderance of unhealthy environments, and frequent hospital visits associated with chronic disease may strain household budgets and community health care systems.
• Asthma and arthritis remain the most common chronic illnesses in the county in 2008. In 2008, 16 percent of all residents suffered from arthritis, while 14 percent had asthma. Of note, the incidence of asthma has increased substantially since 1998 (from 8 percent).
• In 1998, 3.9 percent of county residents had diabetes; in 2008, over 8 percent reported diabetes. The two major factors infl uencing the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes (which accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all cases) are intake of high calorie low nutrient foods and lack of physical activity.
• Cancer was the leading cause of death in San Mateo County 2007, accounting for 26 percent of all deaths.
• The prevalence of heart disease in the county decreased slightly over the last 10 years. Nevertheless, it remains the second leading cause of death in the county, attributable to just under a quarter of all deaths, and is readily preventable.

Years of Potential Life Lost
Years of potential life lost (YPLL) is a metric commonly used by public health departments to measure the impact of premature mortality in a population. YPLL is the difference between the average life expectancy in a population and the number of years a person (or in aggregate, a population) would have lived without dying prematurely.

• Average years of potential life lost (YPLL) has decreased steadily in San Mateo County since 1992 from 631 years of potential life lost per 10,000 residents between 1992-1994 to 420 years between 2006-2008
• The rates for black and Hispanic residents remain significantly above those of white residents. From 2006-2008, YPLL among black residents in the county was 853 years lost per 10,000 residents, more than double the rate for white residents (380 years lost per 10,000). These data indicate a continued need to target community health efforts on these underserved populations.
• On the adjoining page, a map detailing life expectancy at birth by census tract is included.