New report examines California health trends

​ LOS ANGELES, CA - Cancer. Obesity. Asthma. Health insurance. A new report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research looks at these and other important health topics over time, drawing upon more than 140,000 interviews with Californians.

In dozens of easy-to-read tables and graphs, the report, Health of California's Adults, Adolescents and Children: Findings from CHIS 2005 and CHIS 2003, summarizes more than 80 health indicators collected from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the nation's largest state health survey. It shows findings by age, gender, race and ethnicity, income level and health insurance status. The information was collected over two survey periods, allowing the report's authors to note significant changes between 2003 and 2005 in the health of Californians.

The report includes new data never before reported, including a surprising look at how often medical providers discuss the benefits of exercise and better nutrition with patients:

• 34% of adults who have seen a provider in the past 12 months discussed exercise and only 28% discussed nutrition with their doctor.
• In contrast, 76% of adolescents discussed exercise and 72% discussed nutrition with their doctor during their last routine exam.

"The research suggests that physician involvement may be a piece of the puzzle of obesity," said Sue Holtby, senior research scientist at the Public Health Institute and lead author of the report.

Other findings:

• Obesity - Half of adults age 18 and older, and 14% of teens ages 12-17 are overweight or obese.
• Exercise - One third of adults said they got no moderate or vigorous exercise in the past 7 days. 
• Fast Food - 43% of teens and 28% of children ages 2-11 ate at least one fast food meal the previous day. 
• Smoking - Smoking continued to decrease among adults but increased among White and male teens. 
• Pap tests - There was a decrease in the percent of women who got a pap test in the past three years, which is the frequency recommended by the National Cancer Institute.
• Colorectal cancer - There was an increase the proportion of adults who got screened for colorectal cancer. 
• Menopause - There continued to be a decrease in the percentage of women who use hormone replacement therapy to treat the symptoms of menopause. 
• Teens - There was an increase in the proportion of teens ages 15-17 who had an injury during the past year that was serious enough to require medical attention.

Conducted every two years, CHIS data represents the most up-to-date and comprehensive information on the health of Californians. CHIS is conducted by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research in collaboration with the California Department of Public Health, the Department of Health Care Services and the Public Health Institute.