Community Health Needs Assessment Riverside

Anthony Olivar MPH (c)

 Table of Contents

I Overview - Areas of Need for Riverside County

II Methods Riverside Data

III Key Indicators

a. Demographic

i. Total Population by Age Groups 5

ii. Hispanic Population by Race Alone5-6

b. Social

i. High School Graduation Rate.6

ii. Population with No High School Diploma.7

c. Physical

i. Substandard Housing Unit7-8

d. Healthcare

i. Lack of Consistent Source of Primary Care8

e. Behavior

i. Physical Inactivity...9

f. Health Outcomes

i. Poor General Health.9

IV Recommendations
Riverside County Overview

The following is an analysis of the county of Riverside, where the focus will be to

examine the the total population and total population by race alone in terms of demographics

and discover what connections the region may have to poor general health. As shown in the

graph, the county of Riverside is a fairly dense population neighboring San Diego, Orange, San

Bernardino County.
Methods Riverside County

The data that will help examine the information gathered from Riverside county will be

a compiled from the U.S. Census Bureau and other demographic tools such as those provided

by CommunityCommons.org. By creating an account, the free to service webpage allows

anyone to search valuable county information. CommunityCommons.org is a one stop resource

for all county needs.

 Total Population

Total Land Area Population Density

Report Area Total Population
(Square Miles) (Per Square Mile)
Riverside County, CA 2,298,032 7,206.39 318.89
California 38,421,464 155,787.96 246.63
United States 316,515,021 3,532,070.45 89.61

The compilation of data designed to summarize the socioeconomic changes in

population located in the county of Orange. The county of Orange has over 2,298,032

Californians according to the Census Bureau information provided on the community commons

webpage. Considering the density of Riverside County compared to both the state and the

nation, it is hard to believe that every community member is receiving adequate care in order

to maintain a healthy lifestyle. One can only imagine how must stress finding work or area to

live can be in such a dense county. The importance to show compare the total population is to

see how such a dense population can ultimately contribute to poor health. Negative health

factors like environmental where their citizens are not able to exercise outside due to road

work or social factors as in citizens feeling unsafe to go outside at night after work to exercise.

If an area is highly populated it can also cause mental stress on a person if they are not a part of

their community.

Total Population by Race Alone

Native Native
Some Other Multiple
Report Area White Black Asian American / Hawaiian /
Race Races
Alaska Native Pacific Islander
Riverside
617,122 7,562 3,400 11,319 630 397,676 42,069
County, CA
California 8,867,755 104,592 69,430 144,837 11,361 4,890,314 662,397
United States 35,684,777 1,122,369 181,231 490,557 46,724 14,226,829 2,479,718

In dividing the 3 million population by race we see there are about 617,122 Caucasian,
 7,562 African American, 3,400 Asian American, 11,319 are Native American, and total of

439,745 that claim two or more races (Community Commons, n.d.). The combination of races

can be contributed to those who claim one or more races. In looking at the table, we cannot

assume that the majority of residence speak or understand English, which may contribute to

poor health outcomes due to health literacy. It is also not reported in the table which race is

first or second generation located in Riverside county. It is important to note who may come

from another country in order to survey what type of health background they may have or

what type of culture practices they may have which can contribute to their poor health.

Food Insecurity Rate

Food Insecure
Report Area Total Population Food Insecurity Rate
Population, Total
Riverside County, CA 2,266,899 262,830 11.59%
California 38,802,500 5,401,770 13.9%
United States 318,198,163 47,448,890 14.91%

The data exhibits a positive percentage when comparing Riverside county to both the

state and nation. In order to have food insecurities one must report they struggle to find or know

when the next time they will be able to have a meal. Riverside country seems to be above the

national average in reports of food insecurities. Although, if people in the population do not

report they are food insecure, it does not mean they do not maintain an adequate diet. Much of

the food that is readily available is usually processed with high calories and low nutrients. High

caloric meals can put a stress on health and contribute to poor health especially if someone

conducts sedentary movement at home or at work.

Population with No High School Diploma

 Population with Income at or Percent Population with Income
Report Area Total Population
Below 200% FPL at or Below 200% FPL
Riverside County, CA 2,262,800 876,810 38.75%
California 37,678,735 13,615,146 36.13%
United States 308,619,550 105,726,604 34.26%

In the total population of Riverside county about 876,810 report their income is below

200% of the federal poverty level (Community Commons, n.d.). This ranks Riverside county

slightly higher when compared to the state and national average. Those in the population who

report working without a high school diploma are at a disadvantage due to the lack of access to

healthy eating behaviors and knowledge to promote a healthy lifestyle. Not having a high school

diploma also contributes to poor health by the lack of education a person is able to pass down to

someone else. False information can be spread through people who are not educated with proper

health literacy. One thing to note is finding the significant difference between those who report

they do not receive a high school diploma but do receive their general education.

Substandard Housing units

Occupied Housing Units with Percent Occupied Housing Units

Total Occupied
Report Area One or More Substandard with One or More Substandard
Housing Units
Conditions Conditions
Riverside County, CA 699,232 326,951 46.76%
California 12,717,801 5,913,185 46.5%
United States 116,926,305 40,585,236 34.71%

Both Riverside county and the state of California fall below the national average when

looking at those in the population who report they live in substandard housing units. The data

reports show Riverside county at 46.76% compared to the national average of 34.71%

(Community Commons, n.d.). A substandard housing units those who report their living

residence lack a key component in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This can also mean

more than one person report they share a residence with far too many people. Whether it be
 due to affordability or family size, a person is at risk of poor health due to these condition. Lack

of resources in each household can also cause poor health for every occupant in the home.

Healthcare

Survey Population Total Adults Without Any Percent Adults Without

Report Area
(Adults Age 18+) Regular Doctor Any Regular Doctor
Riverside County, CA 1,640,206 463,498 28.26%
California 28,234,219 7,660,782 27.13%
United States 236,884,668 52,290,932 22.07%

Again, in this reported data both Riverside county and California fall below the national

average of adults who report they are without a primary provider. Though there are many in the

population now who receive health insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act, many recipients

fail to follow up with their primary care providers. regularly. About 28.26% of the population in

Riverside county report they do not know who is their doctor (Community Commons, n.d.).

This is a major concern for poor health due to the rate of people who wait until last minute to

follow up with their primary doctor and rely on such services like the emergency room. High

hospital admission rates are contributed to poor health literacy.

Physical Inactivity

Total Population Age Population with no Leisure Percent Population with no

Report Area
20+ Time Physical Activity Leisure Time Physical Activity
Riverside County, CA 1,610,220 322,044 19.7%
California 28,177,817 4,912,524 17.3%
United States 234,207,619 52,147,893 21.8%

Physical Inactivity is a key point in what contributes the most to poor health. Riverside

county ranks higher than both the state and national average in the number of people who report

they do not have any extra time to contribute to physical activity. The benefit of physical activity

is to reduce stress factors and to reduce sedentary movement. Physical activity also promotes
 healthy body and cardiovascular promotion. With those who are reporting no leisure time it is

easy to see how Riverside county can suffer from poor health.

Poor General Health

Total Population Age Estimated Population Age-Adjusted

Report Area Crude Percentage
18+ with Poor or Fair Health Percentage
Riverside County, CA 1,537,935 299,897 19.5% 19.5%
California 27,665,678 5,118,150 18.5% 18.4%
United States 232,556,016 37,766,703 16.2% 15.7%

Ultimately, all the previous data shown can contribute to poor general health in Riverside county.

The county reports 19.5% of the population over the age of 18 years list they are in poor or fair

health (Community Commons, n.d.). Poor general health can be caused by a compilation of

factors, but none are more closely related than the lack of physical activity and poor diet caused

by food insecurities. Poor sanitation in living environments can also contribute to poor health.
 Recommendations

Being able to identify one single cause to poor health is no easy task. If a person was able

to come up with a solution to poor health everyone in the population would not have to suffer

from it. Unfortunately, this is not the case where one answer can solve the poor health situation

in Riverside county. One way to look at it is by starting with the smaller determinants of health

and building up in order to reduce poor health in the county. Once we see those in the total

population living in such dense areas and reporting most of them come from different

backgrounds we can determine health literacy would be the main focus in lowering poor health

in the population. By creating health education programs in the county, everyone will be able to

have access to positive health information. Though there is a low amount of people reporting

they are food insecure, it was mentioned that those foods may be of low nutrient intake. It also

does not help that many in the population reported they suffer from poor housing and lack of

education. Both housing and lack of education can put stress on a familys income and health. A

recommendation for the county to combat food insecurities would be to send out mailers to each

household providing them resources for food banks in order to maintain a healthy diet. Looking

at overcrowded housing units the county can provide housing vouchers for those families who

qualify for a bigger residence. High population density in California is always become an issue

and having no time for leisure activity will always make it hard for anyone to participate in

physical activity. The county can combat this by creating mandatory regulations towards

physical activity. A company can allow a certain amount of minutes a person will need to

participate in. Creating the following recommendations can surely help to lower the poor health

reported in the county. Health advocacy groups are great spreading the word to the people by

hosting community events, social media and television advertisements.

 References

Community Commons. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2017, from

https://assessment.communitycommons.org/CHNA/report?page=2&id=282&reporttype=

libraryCHNA