Introduction
Los Angeles is a county in California in the United States. Many times, it is abbreviated as L.A to represent the full name of the county as it is among the most populated counties in the United States, with about 9,861,224 residents as estimated in 2022 (U.S. News, 2023). The county has about 888 incorporated cities and many other unincorporated cities and covers an estimated 4,083 square miles (10,570 km2). It is a home for a quarter of Californians and an ethnically diverse state with different ethnic groups living in the same place. Generally, it is the second largest city with the largest population in the USA, estimated to have grown to 3.9 million residents. However, due to the high population in L.A., many public Health and health-related problems are affecting the residents, which are indicated in the public health profiling carried out in this research paper with identified challenges and recommended action to manage the issues.
Los Angeles has faced a massive impact of the current pandemic of Covid 19. However, this has been a common problem in all other countries within the U.S. and across the globe since it was a global pandemic (U.S. News, 2023)—the primary health challenge faced by the residents in L. A comes from the spike in the COVID-19 cases in the area. It has caused many other health-related and social problems in the county, leading to many health-related issues impacting the lives of the people of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has identified several public Health-related problems affecting the people. It is working on better ways to manage the challenges and the situations. The department provides a wide range of services, not limited to birth and death certificates, clinics, inspections, public health programs, and public health statistics, to help the government develop strategies to help the people by delivering the right services to the citizens.
Most Crucial Health Problems in L.A.
There are many health challenges affecting the people of L. A., and they include chronic illnesses, drug and alcohol dependence, violence, and unintended injuries to the people. Besides the above mentioned, there are other common ones, such as alcohol dependence, drug overdose, and depression, among others (Goodman et al., 2008). All these listed challenges negatively impact the Health of the population of Los Angeles County. The central health problems for this discussion will be chronic illnesses and drug and alcohol dependence, which are significant factors associated with the Health and wellness of the people of L.A.
Chronic Illnesses
More significant part of the population affected were women, who were more likely to report these diseases than men. These diseases can impact people differently and are made worse by factors such as age, socioeconomic status, gender, and race, among others. The government and Los Angeles County have devised various strategies to help the people manage the menace. Through the division of chronic and injury prevention department, the county is focused on reducing the impact of chronic disease in the affected population of Los Angeles (Goodman et al., 2008). It aims to maximize the county’s people’s Health and quality of life. This is by identifying the needs of the aging population and promoting healthy aging of the affected population through various wellness programs. These programs include community-delivered interventions, chronic disease self-management programs, national diabetes disease prevention programs, and smoking cessation services for a healthy lifestyle.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
The L.A. Department of Health survey shows that 34 percent of 18 to 25 suffer from alcohol addiction, 32 percent abuse marijuana, and 23 percent are affected by illicit drug addiction. Between the years 2013 and 2017, the county recorded about 2938 deaths related to drugs and drug addiction (L.A. County, 2023). The county currently manages the matter through Nexus Recovery, which aims to support those who are struggling with drug and drug addiction cases in Los Angeles.
The many outcomes of drug and alcohol dependence include reduced activity and productivity, increased death rates from the case, high public health costs to manage the issue, increased unemployment, and violence, among others. Enrolling in the Nexus recovery programs will help reduce drug use by 40 to 60 percent, reduce arrests and criminal activities by 40 percent, and increase the employment rate by 40 percent (L.A. County, 2023). The reduced illegal activities result in reduced insecurity cases facilitated by the large number of youths who are dependent on drugs, leading to increased unproductivity (Nexus Recovery, 2021). Most of the children and adults impacted by drug addiction and alcohol are less likely to be active and productive, thus increasing the rate of unemployment.
The government has devised a strategy to help the affected population through Nexus Recovery. Nexus Recovery offers a variety of services based on mental health issues that are connected to drug and alcohol addiction. It provides the management of mental substance abuse disorders, which will help the population live a meaningful and longer life (Nexus Recovery, 2021). The facility offers a combination of therapies in the patient’s treatment programs for those enrolled in the recovery programs. These therapies include individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, life skills coaching, nutrition, mindfulness, and group outings, which may bring positive results.
Recommendations
The high population rate in Los Angeles presents several health-based problems. The presence of such a significant population growth rate comes with several healthcare-based problems originating from inequalities arising from the diversity of the population. The county should find ways to promote equality and equity to help reduce the massive impact of inequalities recorded in the distribution of resources within the diverse population. The department should strive to conduct publications and publicity to educate people about the adverse effects of drug abuse and alcohol dependence and ways to manage the severity of the problems in home settings. On the same note, the county can educate the population about chronic disease management and prevention, which can massively reduce the deaths coming from chronic diseases, and form some community-based education centers to reach many people.
References
Day, E. (2018). Facing addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s report on alcohol, Drugs, and Health U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General Washington, DC, USA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016 382 pp. online (grey literature): Https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/. Drug and Alcohol Review, 37(2), 283–284. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.12580
Department of Public Health. (2023). Chronic disease data stats. Chronic Disease Data Stats. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DCDIC/CDCB/Pages/ChronicDiseaseDataandStats.aspx
Goodman, D. C., Skinner, J. S., Fisher, E. S., & Wennberg, J. E. (2008). Tracking the care of patients with severe chronic illness the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care 2008. Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.
L.A. County. (2023). Harm reduction. County of Los Angeles Public Health. http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/sapc/public/harm-reduction/
Nexus Recovery. (2021, March 24). How much do you know about Los Angeles Drug Addiction Statistics? Nexus Recovery Services | Los Angeles Outpatient Treatment. https://nexusrecoveryservices.com/los-angeles-neighborhood-recovery-guide/statistics/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20over%2034%25%20of%20Los%20Angelenos%20between,is%20dealing%20with%20a%20high%20rate%20of%20addiction.
The U.S. News. (2023). How healthy is Los Angeles County, California? | U.S. news healthiest …https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/california/los-angeles-county
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