State Ranks Orange County’s Health Status

(Santa Ana) – The annual report card on the health of Californians shows Orange County residents are making progress in several areas, including key indicators of infant health.

“We’re encouraged that more expectant mothers are seeking timely and adequate pre-natal care and that more women are breastfeeding their babies,” said Mark B. Horton, M.D., Orange County’s Health Officer. “However, the report also shows that there’s still room for Orange County residents to reduce their risk of several major diseases like cancer and heart disease.”

Orange County has already achieved the Healthy People 2010 objectives for breastfeeding initiation and for reducing death rates due to motor vehicle accidents and homicide. The report, based on information from 1999-2001, also shows a reduction in the rates of infant mortality and in the incidence of both AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB). While overall progress is being made, there are still differences in health status among population groups in Orange County. “We need to focus our efforts and resources on reducing these known disparities, like infant mortality rates among African-Americans and TB in the Vietnamese community,” Dr. Horton stated.

Death rates in Orange County from cancers, coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease remain higher than the statewide average. “These are diseases in which lifestyle factors like tobacco use, alcohol consumption, diet and exercise make a difference,” said Dr. Horton. “By leading healthier lifestyles, we should be able to reduce our death rates from these diseases.”

The 2003 County Health Status Profiles are produced by the California Department of Health Services and the California Conference of Local Health Officers. The report is available on-line at http://www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/hisp/chs/phweek/cprofile2003/Profile2003.pdf.

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