Ms. Dipa Shah Patel will present on Thursday, March 28, 2024 in Los Angeles, how the latest data from the Los Angeles County Health Survey can be leveraged into implementations that benefit food and water needs. (Photo by Brittany Murray) Press Telegram/SCNG)
The 2023 Los Angeles County Health Survey found that Black residents of Los Angeles have the worst health outcomes of any racial group, with the highest rates of high blood pressure, asthma and obesity.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced the findings at a press conference Thursday, highlighting racial disparities in the health of Angelenos.
These disparities are most pronounced among Black residents, but are also prevalent in Latinx communities, which have had the highest rates of diabetes and COVID-19. Asians generally reported the best health, but also the highest rates of loneliness and seriously considering suicide.
Community health surveys have been conducted every two to four years since 1997, but this year's survey was the first since 2018 due to delays caused by the pandemic.
The purpose of the study is to “provide data to drive public health decision-making and community health improvement efforts,” said Dr. Rashmi Shetgiri, chief scientific officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Health. .
The study also takes a closer look at social determinants of health, including economic insecurity, housing instability, air pollution, food insecurity, stress, and discrimination.
“Our job is to ensure this information is never used to perpetuate false narratives and always drive action to promote equitable health outcomes and achieve a more just society.” “This will be used to seriously consider what we need to do,” said Los Angeles County Health Commissioner Dr. Barbara Ferrer.
As in previous years, this study found strong overlap between social determinants and negative health outcomes.
For example, about two-thirds of Black and Latino people are housing burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on rent or mortgages. In contrast, about 43% of white and Asian residents are housing burdened.
“Housing costs are an important underlying determinant of health,” says Shetgiri. “Families may be forced to make difficult choices between necessities, such as paying for housing and quality food, and medical needs, such as medications and medical visits.”
The problem is only getting worse. 54% of Angelenos reported having housing burden in 2023, compared to 42% in 2018.
This study found similar trends between food insecurity and health outcomes.
Approximately 35% of Black and Latino households experienced food insecurity in 2023, compared with 16% of Asian households and 14% of white households. Food insecurity is defined as the inability or inability to reliably obtain food in sufficient quantities.
Additionally, more than one-third of Black adults report living in nutritionally insecure households. This means it is difficult to eat healthy foods on a regular basis.
“We really want to point out that this data that we're seeing is not the result of individual or household choices,” says Dipa Shah Patel, director of the Public Health Service's nutrition and physical activity program. . “When we talk about nutrition and access to food, we are talking about lack of access as a result of structural racism, systemic bias, historic redlining and community divestment. We’re talking about the consequences.”
The findings will be used to guide public health campaigns. For example, the department is considering policies to reduce consumption rates of sugar-sweetened beverages in low-income areas. These drinks are associated with an increased risk of obesity, tooth decay, heart disease, and diabetes.
In 2023, nearly half of Latino adults report drinking at least one soda or sugar-sweetened beverage a day, up from 39% in 2015. Additionally, 54% of adults living in poverty reported consuming a sugar-sweetened beverage per day, compared to 25% who reported consuming a sugar-sweetened beverage per day. is reported. % of general population.
“We are seeing predatory marketing, especially targeting Black and Latino youth, increasing their consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages,” Shah Patel said. “Our first recommendation is to consider restricting the sale of sugary drinks in public buildings and places where young people congregate, such as schools and parks.”
Other strategies the department is considering include increasing access to drinking fountains in these areas and advocating for a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, with proceeds directed toward health programs in low-income areas. He added that it would be possible.
Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is just one example of how survey data can be used to drive public health solutions. Ferrer said all programs must be developed in close consultation with the members of the community who are expected to benefit from them.
“Behind every data point is an individual, a family, a community,” she said. The significant impact of social determinants on health. ”
