Although asthma occurs among Californians at all socio-economic levels, it disproportionately affects low-income Californians, who miss more days of work and school, are more likely to have frequent asthma symptoms, and are more likely to go to the emergency department or be hospitalized for asthma care. In this report, the burden of asthma on low-income Californians is examined by geography, race/ethnicity, age and access to care, among other factors. The authors suggest that disparities in asthma prevalence and care are likely due to a number of factors including inadequate access to health insurance coverage, lack of continuity and quality of health care, and an increased likelihood of exposure to asthma triggers and they point to policy and environmental changes that will likely help address these disparities, including adequate health care coverage, quality health care for low-income Californians with asthma, and asthma-friendly environments.

In California, 90,000 adults with current asthma have experienced problems understanding their doctors. There are significant disparities in who experiences these communication problems according to education, income, insurance status, English proficiency, race/ethnicity and nativity. In addition, adults with asthma who experience these problems are more likely to go to the emergency department or urgent care facility (ED/urgent care) for asthma care and are less likely to receive asthma management plans from their health care providers. The authors of this policy brief suggest that improvements in education and communication strategies are needed to facilitate understanding between health care providers and asthma patients, especially when patients have limited English proficiency (LEP) or have low health literacy. Support for this policy brief was provided by a grant from The California Endowment.

Teens living in neighborhoods with high concentrations of low-income households are unlikely to have a safe park near their home and are more likely to get less physical activity, according to this policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. The policy brief finds the same trends among teens in neighborhoods with higher unemployment rates, lower levels of education and higher levels of household crowding. Based on data from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey, the U.S. Census and park location information, this policy brief examines adolescent physical activity and access to parks as a function of the characteristics of the neighborhoods in which they live. Specifically, this brief shows that physical activity and access to parks vary with neighborhood characteristics, including concentration of low-income households, crowding, unemployment rates and level of education. These neighborhood characteristics serve as indicators of neighborhood disadvantage and point to neighborhoods that are likely to have limited resources.

SUMMARY: In California, more than 2 million adolescents (58%) drink soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages every day, and more than 1.6 million adolescents (46%) eat fast food at least twice a week. Adolescents who live and go to school in areas with more fast food restaurants and convenience stores than healthier food outlets such as grocery stores are more likely to consume soda and fast food than teens who live and go to school in areas with healthier food environments. State and local policy efforts to improve the retail food environment may be effective in improving adolescents’ dietary behaviors.

More than one in four California adolescents -- nearly one million in all -- get less than the recommended levels of physical activity, but neighborhood characteristics and access to safe parks have an important effect on whether teens meet activity recommendations, and whether they get any activity at all reports this new health policy research brief using data from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2003). More teens with access to a safe park get regular physical activity and fewer who have access to a safe park are inactive compared to those who do not have access to a safe park. Access to parks is particularly important for the activity levels of adolescents living in urban areas and for those from low-income families, those living in multi-unit apartment buildings, and those living in neighborhoods perceived as unsafe. This brief presents policy recommendations aimed at improving neighborhood environments and access to parks to encourage physical activity by California adolescents.

In California, more than 1.3 million adolescents (38%) do not participate in physical education (PE) at school, and this rate increases dramatically with age, from just 5% at age 12 to 77% at age 17. In addition, only 19% of teens meet current physical activity recommendations. Participation in PE at schoolis associated with more overall physical activity. Policies that promote more opportunities for physical activity, including those that help schools meet or exceed current PE requirements, can contribute to greater levels of physical activity for adolescents.

The prevalence of both diabetes and obesity has grown significantly in California. Six million adults are obese and an additional 9.3 million are overweight. Obesity is a significant risk factor for diabetes; more than two million adults have been diagnosed with diabetes in California. Obesity and diabetes disproportionately affect people of color, the poor and those with the least education in California. Policy and environmental changes that promote and encourage physical activity and healthy eating will likely prove most effective in combating obesity and related conditions.

This study reports geographic variations in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among children, adolescents, and adults and examines the correlation between soda consumption and obesity. Among the findings: researchers found that adults who drink a soda or more per day are 27 percent more likely to be overweight than those who do not drink sodas, regardless of income or ethnicity. Among children, the study found that 40 percent of young children (2-11 years of age) are drinking at least one soda or sugar-sweetened beverage every day. Adolescents (12-17) represent the biggest consumers, with 62 percent(over 2 million youths) drinking one or more sodas every day – the equivalent of consuming 39 pounds of sugar each year in soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages.

Data was drawn from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), which interviewed more than 43,000 adults and 4,000 adolescents from every county in the state.

People living in neighborhoods crowded with fast-food and convenience stores but relatively few grocery or produce outlets are at significantly higher risk of suffering from obesity and diabetes. The authors of this report correlated the responses of nearly 40,000 Californians surveyed in the 2005 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) with the Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI) to determine the prevalence of obesity and diabetes. The Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI) is a ratio of the total number of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores compared to grocery stores and produce vendors near a person's home. The authors found that Californians living in communities with many fast food restaurants ­ rather than grocery stores and other outlets providing more nutritious choices ­ were more likely to have diabetes and/or be obese. The authors also found that although low-income communities are often hit hardest by this phenomenon, the health correlation is seen across all geographic regions, income levels and ethnicities. The report was authored by The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) and PolicyLink. The findings draw upon The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research's California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), a biennial statewide survey of more than 40,000 Californians used by legislators, policy makers, local health departments, state agencies, community organizations, advocacy groups, foundations, researchers, and many others.