Non-white adults lack access to health care, insurance and housing, L.A. County Health Survey shows

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KABC) -- A Los Angeles County Health Survey shows Black, Asian and Latinx adults continue to face disproportionate inequities when it comes to access to health care, insurance coverage and housing, resulting in higher rates of physical and mental health problems.

The L.A. County Department of Public Health published the survey Thursday, five years after the last survey was conducted. The survey was based on data collected from 9,372 adults and 7,391 children in L.A. County.

"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," public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said.

According to the survey, rates of adult hypertension have skyrocketed since 1997, nearly doubling. Diabetes in adults shows a similar rise.

"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

Although Asian adults reported having better outcomes for certain chronic health conditions, disparities still exist in other public health categories.

According to the survey, more than one in five U.S.-born Asian adults reported having serious thoughts about suicide and higher rates of loneliness at 36.6%, both the highest among all ethnic and racial groups.

By distributing this data, the public health department aims to address the social and structural inequities to improve public health outcomes for all L.A. residents.

The survey results can be found on the L.A. County Department of Public Health website or through their online livestream.