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A new report released ahead of International Women’s Day documents the that role income and ethnicity play in the health of the women of Los Angeles County. Issued by the County’s Department of Public Health, the study’s key findings examine women’s access to care, social and physical environmental factors and how they relate to incidence and mortality rates. “Health Indicators for Women in Los Angeles County,” shows that African-American women suffer disproportionately from premature deaths, Latinas have the least access to health care, and Asian-American women do not receive adequate preventative care. Women with disabilities were also said to be more often subjected to incidents of violence and suffered higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and mental distress. The report also found that poverty levels are directly linked to and are a significant source of disparities in health. In most cases, ill health and poor access for women usually transcend them to negatively affect the families and communities they are a part of. The Department of Public Health undertook the study in order to provide information to better inform health policy initiatives.

GUEST: Rita Singha, MD, Medical Director of the Office of Women’s Health

The hotline for women’s care is 1-800-793-8090.

Read the whole report online at http://www.lapublichealth.org/owh/docs/Health-Indicators-2010.pdf