The Los Angeles County Department of Health released the results of its 2023 health survey, and it finds that non-white residents face a variety of inequities.
The study involved 9,372 adults and 7,391 children from L.A. County and looked at a variety of factors including health care, housing, access to insurance, and how they impact physical and mental well-being.
According to the survey, Black and Latinx residents in the county are more prone to health issues related to diabetes and hypertension. The rate of both health conditions has increased exponentially since 1997.
“The 2023 L.A. County Health Survey findings confront us with the stark realities of how historical inequities continue to shape the health and well-being of our communities, especially among our Black and Latinx residents,” said public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer.
The rate of hypertension and diabetes amongst Black and Latino residents has nearly doubled over the past 27 years.
“We see that our Latinx and Black populations have substantially higher rates of diagnosed diabetes compared to our Asian and white populations,” L.A. County’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Program Director Dipa Shah-Patel said.
When it comes to housing in L.A. County, Latinx residents reported the highest rate of housing burden, with African Americans slightly behind. Both minority groups reported facing shelter issues more than Asian and White adults. The survey had similar findings when it came to food insecurity as well.
The survey also found that although Asian adults fared better than other minority groups when it comes to certain factors, there are still some areas where Asians are lagging.
U.S.-born Asian adults reported a higher level of loneliness and prevalence of suicidal thoughts than any other ethnic and racial group.
The Department of Health’s previous survey was conducted five years ago.
The full L.A. County Health Survey can be found here.
