County Progress Reports Show Statewide Gains in Health Status Indicators
Deaths associated with lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke are on the decline in California, according to the County Health Status Profiles 2010 report released Thursday by the California Department of Public Health, the Ventura County Star reports.
Findings
Investigators found that between 2006 and 2008, the state improved in 20 of the 26 health status indicators set by HHS' Healthy People 2010 report. Healthy People is a set of national health goals released every decade by the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (Lamb Gregory, Ventura County Star, 4/29).
The county profiles also found that California's average mortality rate has declined from 204 deaths per 100,000 people annually a decade ago to 137.1 deaths per 100,000 people annually in the latest report (Hall, "Healthy Living," Orange County Register, 4/29).
Contributing Factors, Next Steps
DPH spokesperson Ronald Owens attributed California's health status improvements to increased public awareness campaigns and state legislation aimed at improving health care.
Despite the state's gains, officials noted that some counties still need to scale up efforts to meet the Healthy People guidelines for obesity and other conditions (Ventura County Star, 4/29). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.