UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

Many Californians are still struggling to reach good health, according to this report from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the country's largest population-based state health survey. Entitled "Health of California's Adults, Adolescents and Children: Findings from CHIS 2003 and CHIS 2001," the new report illustrates that while half of the state's adults and adolescents report their health was "very good" or "excellent," more than one in five describe their health as "fair" or "poor." Other measures from the survey show that millions of Californians suffer the effects of ill health, limited access to health care and chronic disease. The report includes new data from CHIS 2003 on a variety of health topics -- including health conditions and limitations, health behaviors, insurance and access to care among many others -- and highlights significant changes from CHIS 2001. The report also details California's progress in achieve the healthy People 2010 objectives, a set of national health objectives created to encourage progress in the nation’s health along key health measures.