PHOENIX — A new report examining the economic and social impact of Hispanics in Arizona is taking a closer look this year at a factor researchers say can directly affect how long people live: the environment in which they live.
The annual DATOS: The State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market report, released by the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, focuses this year on environmental quality as an important component of a healthy community.
Dr. Monica Villalobos, president and CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said researchers partnered with the Vitalist Health Foundation to examine the data through a different lens.
“This year’s theme for DATOS is environmental quality,” Villalobos said. “It is one of the elements of a healthy community.”
The research looks beyond traditional measures of the environment, examining factors such as access to health care, fresh fruits and vegetables and other resources that can influence the health of a community.
Villalobos said those factors can have a significant effect on life expectancy, particularly in vulnerable communities.
“Certain vulnerable communities don’t have access to health care. They don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables,” Villalobos said. “All of these things contribute to the environmental quality that they’re in.”
She pointed to differences in life expectancy between communities in the Valley as an example.
Villalobos said that over the roughly 10 miles between Scottsdale and South Phoenix, life expectancy decreases by 14 years.
The findings were presented to thousands of community and business leaders at the annual DATOS event, where environmental sustainability was a central topic.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs addressed the crowd and discussed efforts by her administration to address environmental challenges across the state.
Hobbs said one of her first actions after taking office was creating the Office of Resiliency, which focuses on energy, water, land use and climate.
Her administration also developed the state’s first extreme heat preparedness plan, she said.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly and other keynote speakers also addressed environmental sustainability and its impact on Arizona communities.
Villalobos said the issue is not solely the responsibility of government or institutions. Individuals also have a role in improving the quality of the environment around them.
“I think what makes this a little bit different is that there’s more individual responsibility,” Villalobos said. “There are things that we can do to hold ourselves accountable for the environment and the quality of the environment.”
The DATOS report is intended to provide research and data on the growing economic and social influence of Arizona’s Hispanic population, while this year’s focus highlights how environmental conditions and access to resources can intersect with health and quality of life.
