Author: Sarah Siebers
We want all Utahns to have community conditions that support health and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has developed a tool to help map community conditions called the Utah Healthy Places Index (HPI). The Utah HPI map uses neighborhood data related to life expectancy, based on 22 factors that impact health and life expectancy as shown in the picture above.
The map on the right shows Utah HPI score by county with least health community conditions in dark blue and more healthy community conditions in dark green.
Chronic diseases are a leading cause of death and disability in Utah. Smoking, lack of exercise, and unhealthy eating all increase the risk of chronic diseases. These behaviors–and other risk factors–are influenced by the social and community conditions people grow up and live in, such as their education, income, transportation, and housing.
The map on the right shows diabetes rate by county with lower rates in light blue to higher rates in dark purple.
Utah DHHS conducted an analysis comparing six health indicators–diabetes, obesity, asthma, cigarette smoking, lack of exercise, and overall health–across the four quartiles of the Utah Healthy Places Index (least healthy, less healthy, healthy, and most healthy communities). There was a strong link between Utah HPI score quartiles and five of the six selected risk factors and health outcomes.
The map on the right shows Utah HPI score by county with least health community conditions in dark blue and more healthy community conditions in dark green.
Utah communities with the least healthy community conditions had the highest rate of people reporting fair or poor general health (15.5%) with the rate dropping as community conditions improved.
Among Utahns living in the least healthy communities, 11.1% of people reported smoking. In contrast, only 4.6% of Utahns living in the most healthy communities reported smoking.
Outcomes like fair and poor health and smoking rates are influenced by community conditions such as poverty. When people earn enough money to meet basic needs, they can afford the essentials for good health: medical care, nutritious food, safe housing, education, and other necessities.
The map on the right shows counties with more people living above poverty in dark green.
The Utah Healthy Places Index is a tool that helps community leaders understand how community conditions impact chronic disease and overall health. By focusing on community-level strategies–like adding parks, safe walking routes, and access to healthy foods–leaders can create healthier environments. These efforts involve cross-sector collaboration, and the Utah HPI helps identify where improvements can make the biggest impacts on the health and wellbeing of Utahns. The Utah HPI policy guides provide evidence-based opportunities for improving community conditions : https://policies.utah.healthyplacesindex.org/
Visit dhhs.utah.gov/utahHPI to learn more about the Utah HPI.