Kaelani Baker

Sammamish, WA

Information from Maria Wood (Board of Health Administrator) 

Activity Limitation:

            Activity limitation might be one of the most prevalent public health issues in Sammamish. Inactivity leads to being overweight, and can cause serious health problems. 16% of the people in Sammamish struggle with this, which is not surprising. I remember quite a few people in my high school that struggled with their weight. One thing the government is trying to do to fix this is require Gym classes—in Sammamish, it is required that you take it least a year of PE.

Heart Disease:

            Sammamish is ranked 15 out of 25 (with 25 being the worst) for Heart Disease. It is most likely related to the activity limitations previously mentioned, as it can be a side effect of being overweight. It is also the leading cause of death in Sammamish. The definition of heart disease includes coronary heart disease, heart attack, congestive heart failure, and congenital heart disease. This could also be attributed to old age.

Cancer:

            Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Sammamish. However, it is ranked 24 out of 25 in Washington (with 25 being the best). Therefore, although it seems like a big public health issue for Sammamish, compared to the other issues, in comparison to the rest of the state, Sammamish does not have a problem with cancer. This may also be attributed to the wonderful medical services provided so near. There is a hospital in Issaquah, the next town over.

High Cholesterol

            The biggest risk of high cholesterol is a stroke or heart attack. When cholesterol builds up in your arteries, it is hard for blood to pass, and you don’t get oxygen to your brain. That’s when you have a stroke or a heart attack. It can be inherited, but it is usually the result of bad habits. This goes hand in hand with the activity limitations discussed earlier. This is the highest health risk in Sammamish right now that could lead to disease.

Lack of flu shot

            Like many places in the nation, Sammamish does not have a very good flu shot rate. Only 38% of Sammamish gets a yearly flu shot. This could be because for the most part, Sammamish is a fairly healthy city. Sanitation issues and public health issues are not very prevalent, because it is a fairly rich area. However, this is a preventative action that needs to be improved.