The 2023 Los Angeles County Health Survey found stark health disparities among Latino and Black residents, including higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and COVID-19, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

Conducted by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the community health survey examined social determinants of health, such as housing, economic security, discrimination and air pollution.

In 2023, many Latino adults experienced disproportionate inequities regarding health, access to care, housing and economic security, according to the survey.

Latinos had the highest rates of diabetes (13.5%) compared with other racial groups. Almost half of Latino adults reported drinking at least one soda or sugar-sweetened beverage per day in 2023. What’s more, about 35% reported living in households experiencing food insecurity, which can contribute to poorer health outcomes.

The community health survey has been conducted every two to four years since 1997. This is the first survey since 2018 following a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately impacted Latinos.

In fact, 65.1% of Latino adults reported ever having had COVID-19, which is significantly higher than the rate reported by Los Angeles County adults overall (57.8%).

Some 38% of Black adults reported ever having been diagnosed with high blood pressure compared with 24.4% of Latino and 25.7% of Asian adults. Black adults also experienced high rates of asthma, obesity and diabetes.

About 15% of Black adults reported experiencing discrimination at least once a week in 2023 compared with nearly 9.5% of Latinos.

Results from the survey will be utilized in public health campaigns to combat health disparities.

“Our work is to make sure that this information never gets used to perpetuate false narratives but is always used to drive action to promote equitable health outcomes and to really look hard at what it’s going to take to be able to realize a more just society,” said director of the LA County Department of Public Health, Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MEd, to the Los Angeles Daily News.

To view the full survey, click here.

To read more, click #Health Equity. There, you’ll find headlines such as “New UCLA Research Program to Prioritize Latino Representation,” “New Webinar Prioritizes Latina Health” and “Diet Linked to Preeclampsia Risk in Pregnant Latinas.”