PR for People Monthly MARCH 2016 | Page 11

The next time you congratulate yourself for a long run or thank your parents for your hardy genes, be sure to acknowledge your neighborhood’s role in keeping you well.

When it comes to your health, your ZIP code may trump your genes, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. And the disparities among ZIP codes and races are startling: in New Orleans, people in a higher-income neighborhood live, on average, 25 years longer than in a lower-income area, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These disparities hold true in many health issues: cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and HIV.

Groups like the American Public Health Association and others are taking notice and working toward health equity: overcoming population (group)-level disparities in health and wellness impacted by factors like race and income. We don’t always realize it, but our communities impact our wellness choices. Are our neighborhoods clean and safe enough to take an evening walk? Do we have access to health services and specialists? How hard is it to afford and find nutritious food? How many marijuana and tobacco shops do our kids see every day?

“There’s an old saying that it’s easier to buy a gun in some neighborhoods than it is to buy a fresh tomato,” said Val Thomas-Matson, program manager for the Healthy King County Coalition, a community-based organization in Seattle that works toward health equity. The HKCC includes members such as WSU’s Food $ense, the Seattle Indian Health Board, Entre Hermanos, FEEST Seattle, the Trust for Public Land, and the Center for MultiCultural Health—agencies that see health disparities firsthand.

Coalition works locally for health equity

By JoAnne Dyer

Val Thomas-Matson, program manager for the Healthy King County Coalition

Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, Mayor Mia Gregerson, and Councilmember Brenda Fincher with Val Thomas-Matson