L.A. County Ranks 38th in State for Health Factors

While the health of Los Angeles County residents has ranked as average compared to the rest of California's residents, officials are concerned about the effects that lifestyle habits and environmental factors have on locals.

Are we healthy? Pretty much. The 2011 County Health Rankings report listed Los Angeles County as 26th out of 56 California counties for the overall health of residents.

But are our everyday habits and our social and physical environments healthy? Not as much.

In the report, which was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and created by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Los Angeles County ranked 38th for its health factors. The study evaluates such factors as lifestyle behaviors (such as smoking and drinking habits), access to health care and the social, economic and physical environment.

The study was part of a project that compiles information on health determinants in counties throughout the country, and ranks each state's counties against one another in an effort to show how our environments and habits directly affect our health (see accompanying report under photos). 

"Not surprisingly, Los Angeles County falls toward the middle of the pack in California in health outcomes," said Jonathan Fielding, the county’s director of public health, in a statement. "The part we should be concerned about is L.A. County's poor rankings on health factors, such as the physical, social and economic environment. These things represent a window into our future health."

The healthiest county in California, according to the study, is Marin County in the San Francisco Bay Area. Two of California's 58 counties were not ranked in the report.

As for health factors here in the Beach Cities, our seaside environment is healthy but a found that Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach residents face high stress levels in their everyday lives.

“We have a great perception that we are a very healthy community and the data that we found out shows that there truly are areas for improvement,” Dr. Lisa Santora, chief medical officer of the Beach Cities Health District, told Patch in March.

In response to the county ranking, the Los Angeles Department of Public Health plans to target health factors through public programs and policy.

Locally, Vitality City project organizers are continuing to work on community efforts to improve the municipal policies and business practices that affect residents’ health.