San Joaquin Valley Not Meeting Federal Health Standards, Report Finds
San Joaquin Valley adults meet federal health targets in one of 10 categories and did not do better than other regions of the state in any of the 10 categories, according to a report released Thursday by California State University-Fresno, the Modesto Bee reports.
According to the study, San Joaquin Valley residents meet federal standards for physical activity. The valley scored worse than other areas in the state in excess weight, tobacco use, motor vehicle injuries, air quality, flu shot immunization and prenatal care, the study found.
John Capitman, director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at CSU-Fresno, said rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea in the region are "way high" and are receiving inadequate attention. He added that obesity is "way over the goal" in the area and treatment for depression is poor in the region.
San Joaquin County had the lowest rate of smokers, 17.7% of adults, compared to other counties in the region, which each had more than 19%, the report found. The smoking rate for adults statewide was 16.2%.
According to the study, valley residents are less likely to be insured than residents in California in general and are more likely to rely on public health programs, such as Medi-Cal (Steinberg, Modesto Bee, 12/3).