Purpose of Study: To evaluate the health status of Californians living in border communities and publish the results and recommendations in a report as mandated by the California State legislature. Methods: The 25 Healthy Gente indicators were used to describe the health conditions of San Diego and Imperial county residents, with an emphasis on Latino populations. Rates and percentages were reported by county and were compared to statewide numbers and Healthy People 2000 objectives. Results: Latinos in the California border region have lower rates of breast cancer mortality, infant mortality, and low birthweight than other racial/ethnic groups, and meet the Healthy Gente objectives. However, access to health care, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, unintentional injuries, and asthma continue to be significant areas of concern and do not meet the objectives. Conclusions: The California Office of Binational Border Health recommends improvements in assessment, policy development, and assurance to address the health disparities in border communities; including, binational collaborations in data collection and information exchange, a bistate border health office or programs, and bistate community health education efforts.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this session the participant will be able to: 1. Describe the mission and purpose of the California Office of Binational Border Health 2. List the 25 border-wide Healthy Gente indicators 3. Prioritize the health concerns of California’s border region.
Keywords: Latinos, Health Objectives
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.