How ‘healthy’ is San Diego compared to the rest of California?
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A new report showed San Diegans may be healthier than residents of other counties in the state and across the country.
Findings from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps indicated San Diego County is just as healthy as other places in California, if not more, and overall healthier than the average county in the U.S.
Measurements for the study were calculated using several factors like health behaviors, health insurance and available clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment.
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Data from 2016 to 2022 showed that 97% of people living in the county had adequate access to a park or recreation facility for physical activity, compared to 94% of people in California and 84% nationwide.
San Diego also recorded lower teen birth rates than other counties across the state and in the U.S. From 2016 to 2022, data showed there were 10 births per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 19 in the county compared to 13 births per 1,000 teens statewide and 17 per 1,000 teens across the United States.
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Healthcare access also appeared to be better in San Diego when looking at statewide and nationwide numbers. According to the report, only 7% of people under the age of 65 did not have health insurance, whereas 8% of Californians and 10% of Americans were uninsured.
San Diego County reported higher ratios of doctors, dentists and mental health providers to residents than the rest of the state and the country. The number of hospital stays was also lower in San Diego, showing 1,965 hospital stays per 100,000 people enrolled in Medicare compared to more than 2,000 hospital stays per 100,000 across California and the U.S.
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The county fared better than other California counties and the rest of the nation regarding college education, low unemployment and child poverty — all social and economic factors thought to impact overall health.
Areas where San Diego County could see more improvements include air pollution, mammography screenings, excessive drinking and sexually transmitted infections.
In San Diego, there was an annual average of 13.8 micrograms per cubic meter of air pollution using data from 2019, compared to 7.1 micrograms in the state and 7.4 in the country as a whole.
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The most recent data from 2021 showed there were 552 new cases of chlamydia per 100,000 residents in the county. That’s compared to 488 in California and 495 in the U.S.
San Diego also reported 21% of adults reported binge or heavy drinking, compared to 17% statewide and 18% nationwide.
The number of women between the ages of 65 and 74 who received an annual mammography screening was lower in San Diego (35%) compared to California (36%) and the U.S. as a whole (43%).
According to the report, there is a connection between civic participation and health. The healthiest counties have good civic infrastructure which includes more access to information and resources, which offers residents more opportunities to improve their health and reduce health barriers, the report said.
You can find the entire report on San Diego County’s health data here.
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