Data show that tree coverage in our neighborhoods is related to many other things. Census tracts with sparse tree coverage have higher summer temperatures, higher rates of poor mental health, and higher rates of poverty.
Substance abuse prevention plays a pivotal role in community and public health. In 2021 more than 100,000 people in the US died from a drug overdose, with a predicted 6.7% increase nationally for 2022.
The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of students in Monroe County reports that 8% of high school students overall attempted suicide in 2019, with females having more suicidal behaviors than males.
Racial and ethnic minorities face unique struggles regarding their mental health and wellbeing. Data show that the Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index varies widely between counties, as does the tract-level poverty level data.
Local data show variability by county in rates of blood pressure control (a protective factor for heart disease) for men. These data are provided to RocHealthData by the Rochester RHIO, our local health information exchange. The latest (2019-2021) data from the RHIO will be coming to RocHealthData later this summer.
While New York State has a relatively low risk of wildfires, for much of the southern and western parts of the US, wildfires and the resulting smoke are serious issues.
Language arts test scores in the Rochester area vary widely by county and school district. One organization helping to raise those scores is Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester.
Data from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey show that many census tracts in our region have relatively lower rates of high cholesterol, and that many of the higher rates are in rural, rather than urban tracts.
Poor mental health prevalence rates in the Rochester region range from less than 9% in rural areas to more than 25% in some census tracts in the City of Rochester, while prevalence of coronary heart disease ranges from 1% rurally to 11% in urban census tracts.
Coronary heart disease rates in the Rochester region range from less than 4% in rural areas to more than 11% in some census tracts in the City of Rochester.