Policy brief (UCLA Center for Health Policy Research)最新文献

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are designed to provide comprehensive health care, including primary care to their enrollees. However, HMOs deliver care through a wide variety of physician networks, settings and methods throughout the nation and in California. Minorities and individuals of lower socioeconomic status continue to disproportionately rely on the health care safety net, even when insured. Individuals enrolled in HMOs should be less likely to rely on emergency rooms and experience ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations given the focus of HMOs on centralized care through the use of a primary care provider. This policy brief uses data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2007) to examine delays in fulfilling prescribed medications, delays in obtaining needed medical care, visits to emergency rooms, and the presence of a usual source of care among insured African Americans in public and commercial HMOs. We find that African-American HMO enrollees in California are more likely to delay obtaining needed medications and use the emergency room than other racial/ethnic groups in comparable HMO plans.

Background The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased dramatically in both adults and children in the last three decades in the n California, 62% of adolescents ages 12-17 and 41% of children ages 2-11 drink at least one soda or other sweetened beverage every day. In addition, 24% of adults drink at least one soda or other sweetened beverage on an average day. Adults who drink soda occasionally (not every day) are 15% more likely to be overweight or obese, and adults who drink one or more sodas per day are 27% more likely to be overweight or obese than adults who do not drink soda, even when adjusting for poverty status and race/ethnicity. This policy brief, produced collaboratively by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, examines soda consumption in California by cities and counties using data from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2005). In addition, the brief investigates whether there is an association between soda consumption and the prevalence of overweight and obesity. There are major differences in soda consumption rates by geographic area in California, suggesting that social and environmental factors affect the consumption of soda. Also, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is higher among those who drink one or more sodas or other sweetened beverages every day than among those who do not consume these soft drinks. Establishing public policies that focus on reducing soda consumption could contribute to reversing California's increasing overweight and obesity problem.

When it comes to school readiness, children's health matters. Healthy children are better prepared to learn, concentrate and develop the skills needed to succeed in school--and throughout life. Although good health supports learning among children of all ages, it is particularly important during early childhood when a crucial period of rapid physical and emotional growth occurs between birth and age five. Therefore, providing children early on with an environment conducive to healthy development and learning lays the foundation for a successful future. Not all children, however, have this opportunity. Research shows children living in poverty, with poor health status or low-quality childcare, are more likely to have developmental and learning delays. Many of California's three million children ages 0-5 grow up in environments where their health may limit their social, emotional and academic development. This brief examines trends in key health indicators for children ages 0-5 in California between 2001 and 2005, based on data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). Conducted every other year since 2001, CHIS is a statewide survey that provides information on health conditions, health behaviors, access to health care, and use of services among children, adolescents and adults in California. Examining CHIS data from multiple survey years provides valuable information on California's progress toward better health and school readiness for young children.