Center in the News
Someone's housing situation has consequential effects on their overall health and well-being," UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Senior Public Administration Analyst Sean Tan said Thursday during a presentation of the research findings.
The study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that about 1 in 7 veterans with a firearm at home in California had thought about suicide.
Unsafe firearm storage is common among California veterans with a history of suicidal ideation, according to a study published today by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
Housing issues are public health issues because of how they affect people's health and well-being," said Sean Tan, a senior public administration analyst at UCLA CHPR. "People struggling to pay for housing have been shown to cut back on health care and basic necessities, leading to overall poorer health.
One in three Californians rely on Medi-Cal for health coverage. According to the 2021 California Health Interview Survey, among people with Medi-Cal, 15% of individuals live with diabetes and 34% suffer from high blood pressure. Black Californians are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than white Californians and more than 10% more likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure. Medically supportive food and nutrition (MSF&N) interventions can prevent and treat these often-debilitating chronic conditions.
The study, based on responses to the 2021 California Health Interview Survey, reveals that 1 in 10 adults in the state, or approximately 3 million people, faced difficulties in paying for housing this year. Renters, in particular, were more vulnerable, with 18.6% reporting struggles to pay their landlords, compared to only 5% of homeowners who faced similar difficulties. Housing instability was also an issue for 4.4% of California adults.
According to the California Health Interview Survey, from 2019 to 2021 about one-third of California youth ages 12-17 experienced serious psychological distress. Current law allows youth ages 12 and up to consent to outpatient mental health services without the consent of a parent or guardian, but that differs for youth who have Medi-Cal due to language in the Family Code.
Some 41% of Latino adults in California are unable to afford enough food, according to the UCLA California Health Interview Survey. Limited income creates limited food choices, leading to a reliance on cheap, processed, sugar-rich foods as well as a disconnect from traditional and healthier foodways.
Even before the shootings, more than two-thirds of Asian Americans in the state said they were worried about gun violence, the highest level among all racial groups, according to the 2021 California Health Interview Survey. Only one-third of whites, by contrast, responded similarly. Nearly half of Black and Asian American teens expressed concern about being victims of gun violence. Asian Americans have also expressed strong support for stricter gun laws.
The California Health Interview Survey has revealed an elevated prevalence of diabetes at 11.5% in the country, above the 10% in the state. Physical inactivity, a contributor of diabetes, is a health issue for almost a third of residents.