|
- Areas Needing Attention
- Areas of Improvement
- What Can Individuals and Community Leaders do to Improve the Health of Clark County?
- Sponsors
Released every three years, the Community Report Card measures the health of the community using recognized healthy community indicators. Community Choices uses the information to drive long-term systemic change.
The 2006 Community Report Card highlights several areas which need the attention of community leaders and the citizens of Clark County in order to optimize the quality of life for Clark County residents:
- Building a Healthy Community - Balance the needs for housing diversity, commercial development, industrial space, job variation, schools, pedestrian systems, transportation, parks, farming and natural environmental areas.
- Parenting and Family Support - Ensure the provision of parenting and family support services, quality child care and early education programs for all families.
- Healthy Youth - Increase opportunities for children to engage in lifelong physical activity and have access to healthy food options in schools, home and the community.
- Coordinated System of Health Care - Improve access to primary care and prevention services, and create a coordinated system of health care coverage for all.
The 2006 Community Report Card also documents significant progress and improvements in several areas, including:
- Improved Access to Smoke-Free Environments and Smoking Rates Down - With the overwhelming passage of Initiative 901 by Washington voters in 2005, smoking is now prohibited in all places of employment, including restaurants, bars, taverns, bowling alleys, and bingo halls. Cigarette smoking rates among adults has dropped 7% since 1999.
- Plans Completed for Pedestrian Systems - In 2005, Clark County revised the Regional Trail and Bikeway System Plan to create a safe and accessible walking and biking system that interconnects our communities, open spaces and employment centers. The plan calls for the development of 240 miles of shared-use trails, the integration of sidewalks in all new urban residential development areas, the availability of safe walking routes within a half-mile of our public schools and mixed-use urban areas. Currently 60 miles of trails have been completed.
- Home Ownership Improving - Home ownership provides important social and economic benefits to individuals. In 2005, 68% of housing was owner-occupied, up significantly from the 1990 rate of 64%. Home ownership is slightly higher in Clark County than statewide or nationally.
- College-Educated Adults Growing - The number of county residents with a four-year degree or higher has increased from 17% to 25% since 1990. The community still falls behind the state and the nation, but the gap is decreasing.
- Crime Rates Dropping - Domestic violence rates have decreased to their lowest rate since 1999 and rates of serious violent crime are stable.
- Teen Pregnancy Rates Down - The rate of teen pregnancy in Clark County has steadily declined from the 1999 rate of 35.2. The 2004 Clark County rate of 21.8 is lower than the Washington State rate of 28.5. Clark County far and beyond meets the national target goal.
Every organization and resident in Clark County has an opportunity to participate in community health improvement, whether we lead, govern, work, play, invest or simply live here.
Policymakers Can:
- Endorse a pedestrian-friendly long-range urban growth plan that integrates mixed land uses, compact building design, diversified housing, increased tree canopy, and preservation of open spaces, farmland and natural environment areas.
- Design walkable communities with a strong sense of place and access to healthy food.
- Promote policies that support alternative modes of transportation, such as integrating pedestrian systems into the Columbia River Crossing project, supporting extension of light rail and rapid transit into Clark County.
- Reduce barriers to new family-wage job growth in Clark County, such as expanding the amount of land available for commercial and industrial use.
- Advocate for a coordinated system of health care which includes coverage for all residents and prioritizes preventive care.
- Ensure the provision of parenting and family support services, quality child care and early education programs for all families.
Business and Community Leaders Can:
- Create healthy worksites that encourage and provide facilities for regular physical activity and healthy food alternatives for all staff.
- Provide employee incentive programs and facilities to encourage use of alternative transportation, carpooling, public transportation, walking or biking to work.
- Provide health care insurance for employees.
School Leaders Can:
- Replace high sugar, fat and salt snack and beverage options in schools with at least 50% healthy options.
- Encourage life-long physical activity with students by providing a range of after-school activity programs, school-wide fitness programs and classroom curriculum that includes movement.
- Encourage students and their families to engage in physical activity together.
- Institutionalize health advisory councils to advocate for healthy policies and practices.
Individual Residents Can:
- Use public trails as an alternative transportation mode for work and play.
- Engage in 30 minutes of physical activity daily.
- Eat a well-balanced diet that includes 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
- Eat dinner with your family regularly.
- Purchase healthy food from local farmers.
Community Choices would like to thank the following sponsors who supported the development and distribution of the 2006 Community Report Card:
Champion of Healthy Communities Sponsors
Friends of Healthy Communities Sponsor
