Four California Regions Among 10 Fittest Metro Areas in U.S.
Four California regions are among the top 10 in the U.S. based on preventive health behaviors, chronic disease rates and other metrics, according to the annual American Fitness Index, the Sacramento Business Journal reports.
Details of Report
The AFI is released by the American College of Sports Medicine in conjunction with the WellPoint Foundation.
For the rankings, researchers examined data on the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. from the Census Bureau, CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and other sources.
The composite scores are based on:
- Preventive health behaviors;
- Rates of chronic disease, such as asthma, diabetes and obesity;
- Community resources that support physical activity; and
- Other metrics (Sorich, Sacramento Business Journal, 5/28).
Details of Calif. Rankings
The areas in California that were ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. overall were:
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, which ranked fifth;
- San Jose-Sunnyale-Santa Clara, which ranked sixth;
- San Diego-Carlsvbad-San Marcos, which ranked eighth; and
- Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, which ranked 10th.
For personal health indicators, such as physical activity, nutrition and chronic health conditions:
- The San Jose area ranked first in the U.S.;
- The San Francisco area ranked second;
- The San Diego area ranked fourth; and
- The Sacramento area ranked 10th.
For environmental indicators, such as the rate of residents who walk or bike to work:
- The Sacramento area ranked ninth;
- The San Francisco area ranked 12th;
- The San Diego area ranked 14th; and
- The San Jose area ranked 24th (American Fitness Index, 2014).