Community Assessment - Health & Quality of Life in San Mateo
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Three distinct research phases were integrated to produce the final analyses found in this report: 1) secondary data collection; 2) quantitative primary research activities; and 3) qualitative primary research.

secondary research

The first research phase involved consolidation of numerous planning studies, needs assessments and published reports developed for San Mateo County in recent years. These sources yielded a wealth of health and human services, demographic, and quality of life data. This report attempts to build on previous research efforts by including key findings from these efforts into this assessment. Of particular benefit were:

• 1997/2000 Demographic Update. CACI, Inc.
• 1998 San Mateo County Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. Healthy Community Collaborative of San Mateo County. September 1998.
• 1998 San Mateo County Quality of Life Survey. Healthy Community Collaborative of San Mateo County. September 1998.
• 1998 San Mateo County Youth Risk Behavior Survey. San Mateo County Department of Public Health.
• California Association of REALTORS.
• California Child Care Portfolio. California Child Care Resource & Referral Network.
• California County Data Book. Children Now. 1997.
• California Department of Health Services and the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch.
• Caltrans District 4 Office of Highway Operations.
• Caltrans Public Affairs.
• Consolidated Housing and Community Development Plan: 1999-2003. San Mateo County Home Consortium. Adopted by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, April 1998.
• Coming of Age in the Bay Area: A Demographic Profile of the Older Population. Bay Area Agencies on Aging. 1997.
• Commute Profile 1996. RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, Inc. July 1996.
• County Health Status Profiles. Department of Health Services and California Conference of Local health Officers. 1998.
• Criminal Justice Statistics Department, California Department of Justice.
• Economic Indicators and Outlook: San Mateo County, California. Economic Vitality Partnership, San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA). June 1997.
• Healthy San Mateo 2000: Health Status Indicators. San Mateo County Department of Public Health. Summer 1998 Edition.
• Indicators for a Sustainable San Mateo County: A Report Card of Our County’s Quality of Life. Sustainable San Mateo County. May 1998.
• Performance Profile: Bay Area School Districts. Bay Area Council. 1997.
• Projections ‘98. Association of Bay Area Governments.
• San Francisco Chronicle. January 5, 1998.
• San Mateo County Association of REALTORS.
• San Mateo County Community Profile & Health and Social Services Needs Assessment. Hospital Consortium of San Mateo County. August 1995.
• San Mateo County Congestion Management Program. San Mateo County Planning Department. 1995.
• San Mateo County Head Start/Early Head Start Programs.
• San Mateo Housing Needs Analysis. Economic and Planning Systems. November 1997.
• The Status of Children in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Report Presented to The San Mateo County Board of Education. December 10, 1997.
• Traffic Congestion Gridlock Solutions. Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Fall 1997.
• Transactions, Metropolitan Transportation Commission Newsletter. July 1997.
• U.S. Bureau of the Census.

quantitative primary research

The second phase of data collection involved primary research activities. Primary research was gathered via two independent telephone surveys, each conducted with a random sample of 1,000 adults in San Mateo County. The estimated adult population of San Mateo County is 531,181 residents aged 18 and older. Therefore, each percentage point in the survey represents roughly 5,312 persons (e.g., a 23.4% response represents approximately 124,301 adults).

• The 1998 San Mateo County Quality of Life Survey was designed to gather information from the population which is not readily available elsewhere, particularly items which do not naturally lend themselves to database collection. Numerous quality of life indicators were addressed in this survey, and these are highlighted throughout this report.

• The 1998 San Mateo County Behavioral Risk Survey, based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, was designed to measure risk behaviors among San Mateo County residents (including such items as smoking, physical activity, high blood pressure, overweight prevalence), as well as prevention services (such as cancer screenings and access to medical care). Findings from this survey are also highlighted throughout this report.

In addition to the countywide random sampling, approximately 200 additional interviews were completed for each survey in selected ZIP Codes in order to augment samples within geographic segments and enhance reliability.

The numbers of actual interviews conducted by key demographic segments are outlined in the following chart. Note that some categories may not add to the total number of interviews due to non-response/non-classification.

The interviews were conducted randomly, then the final responses were "weighted" by several key geographic and demographic characteristics to more closely match the countywide population and achieve greater statistical representativeness. Furthermore, throughout this report, survey findings are segmented by regions within the county. The ZIP Code composition of these regions is as follows:

Benchmark Comparisons.   To further provide context to the data presented in this report, comparisons to benchmark data are provided where available. These include comparisons to state-level data and Year 2000 objectives (as outlined in Healthy People 2000, a description of national health goals, or as prescribed by the California Department of Health Services). Furthermore, data is also provided wherever possible for neighboring Santa Clara County as a "peer" comparison, in that Santa Clara County and San Mateo County share similar demographic and economic characteristics, as well as many of the same health and social challenges.

qualitative primary research

The third research phase consisted of a qualitative primary component which convened a series of focus groups (Community Panels) with community representatives. The goal of these groups was to ascertain a global perspective on the quality of life in San Mateo County. In all, five panel groups were conducted with key informants throughout the county, including community leaders, business leaders, physicians, and social services representatives (two groups). Potential participants were chosen because of their ability to identify primary concerns of the populations with whom they work, as well as of the community overall. The findings of these discussions are presented in Appendix A

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