The document highlights the importance of public health in fostering healthy communities in Santa Clara County, California. Key factors contributing to community health include access to clean air and water, nutritious food, affordable housing, and safe neighborhoods. The document also emphasizes the need for community engagement in addressing health challenges like obesity and access to physical activity.

1. Creating Healthy Communities
Susan Stuart
Santa Clara County Public Health
Department
Gilroy, June 16, 2012

2. Why Public Health?
Health care is vital to all of us some of the
time, but public health is vital to all of us
all of the time. - C. Everett Koop
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 2

3. Leading Causes of Mortality in SCC
Top 2 causes
50 % of all
deaths
Source: California Department of Public Health, Death Records, 2008
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 3

4. What Makes a Community Healthy?
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 4

5. Conditions of Health
• Clean air, soil and water
• Access to affordable, nutritious food
• Quality education, childcare, libraries, park facilities
• Affordable, quality housing
• Green and open spaces, including agricultural land
• Walkable/bikeable neighborhoods connecting to transit and
necessary services
• Healthy job opportunities
• Safe and socially cohesive communities
• Affordable, accessible health care
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 5

6. Poverty and Education
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 6

7. Community / Neighborhood: What
Improves Wellness?
Nearly ½
surveyed think
access to
physical activity
and healthy food
will have most
impact
Source: SCC BRFSS 2009
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 7

8. Overweight/Obesity, SCC
Source: Santa Clara County Public Health Department, 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey
2007-08 California Healthy Kids Survey
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 8

9. Overweight and Obese Adults, Santa Clara County
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 9
Source: Santa Clara Public Health Department 2004, 2005-06, 2009, Behavioral Risk Factor Survey

10. Overweight or Obese Adults: Gilroy, SCC,
CA, and US
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 10

11. SCC Childhood Obesity/Overweight
SCC City 2010 Overweight +
Obesity
Gilroy 43.6%
Santa Clara 37.5%
San Jose 36.0%
Milpitas 33.3% 14% of Gilroy adults ever
Sunnyvale 31.0% told they had diabetes
Morgan Hill 30.3% (SCC: 8%) Source:
Campbell 30.1% BRFSS, 2009
Cupertino 18.4%
Palo Alto 18.4%
Saratoga 18.2%
Los Gatos 15.4%
Santa Clara County 32.9%
California 38.0%
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and California Center for Public
Health Advocacy, 2012
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 11

12. Asthma Among SCC Adults
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 12

13. © 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 13

14. Frequency of Fast Food Consumption
1-3 times/week 4 or more times/week
37% of Gilroy adults
ate fast food at
least once a week.
Source: BRFSS, 2009
Source: SCC BRFS 2009, CHIS 2007.
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 14

15. Healthy Food Resources
Public Health Law & Policy, Healthy Food
Resource Assessment, 2010
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 15

16. Physical Activity: Children Engaging in
Vigorous Activity by Race / Ethnicity
48% of Gilroy
adults reported
performing any
vigorous physical
activity (SCC: 54%)
Source: BRFSS, 2009
Source: HP 2010 ( 9-12th grade), SCC CHKS 2005-06 (7th, 9th, 11th graders), California Health
Interview Survey (CHIS) 2007
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 16

17. Middle and High School Indicators
Gilroy Unified Morgan Hill Unified SCC
Daily Physical Activity 49% 58% 56%
Ate 5+ fruits & vegetables yesterday 33% 35% 36%
Drank 1+ sodas in past 24 hrs. 58% 54% 55%
Source: California Healthy Kids Survey 2007-08
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 17

18. General Plan Health Element
• First chapter to be updated
• Quality of life survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SantaClaraCounty
• General plan health element outreach
• Latino health assessment
• Will be one of a few California Counties to
have a public health element
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 18

19. Contact Information
susan.stuart@phd.sccgov.org
408-793-2721
Santa Clara County Health Element
www.healthysantaclaracounty.org/
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 19

20. Thank you!
It is unreasonable to expect that people will
change their behavior easily when so many
forces in the social, cultural and physical
environment conspire against such change.
Institute of Medicine
© 2012 Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The Public Health Department is owned and operated by the County of Santa Clara 20