Community Health Assessment

Conclusions

CONCLUSIONS

Strengths

Mason County residents are expected to live longer lives, an improvement in life expectancy that can be linked with positive changes in other health factors:

· Life expectancy has improved by over 4 years and premature death has begun to decline in recent years

· Graduation rates have increased steadily over the last decade and reached its highest rate in 2020

· Adult crime rates are lower than the state’s rate for property crime and drug law violations

· Arrest rates for youth have decreased significantly over the last decade

· Water and air quality continue to improve and suggest that there are no major physical environment factors that contribute to health outcomes in the county

· Binge drinking rates for both adults and youth have decreased over time 

Weaknesses

Ultimately. Mason County is ranked among the least health counties in Washington. In addition to demonstrating our strengths, this report has highlighted some areas where Mason County can improve its health factors and health outcomes:

· Access to healthcare continues to be a major barrier in Mason County; local provider to population ratios are very large as many residents seek primary care or utilize urgent cares and emergency departments in larger neighboring counties

· Adult obesity rates in Mason County have exceeded those of neighboring counties and the state over the last four years, increasing the risk of chronic health conditions

· The percent of adults not meeting physical activity recommendations more than doubled between 2018 and 2019, and only a quarter of youth meet physical activity recommendations

· Chlamydia infection rates have nearly doubled over the last decade

· Teen birth rates remain higher than teen births statewide

· The rate of drug overdose and opioid overdose deaths have increased significantly in Mason County, inconsistent with the state; in 2019, Mason County reached its highest rate of opioid overdose deaths in the last ten years

· While poverty rates are declining compared to previous years, they remain much higher than the state’s

· Cigarette smoking rates remain higher than the state for both adults and youth

· Electronic cigarette use or “vaping” in youth has increased by 22% across all grade levels

· Mason County adults have higher marijuana usage rates compared to the state

· Nearly a third of Mason County residents are housing cost burdened 

Questions about this report may be directed to:

Melissa Casey, MPH
Public Health Educator
Mason County Community Services - Public Health
mcasey@masoncountywa.gov
360-427-9670 ext. 406

References

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