Health-related quality of life--Los Angeles County, California, 1999

Abstract

The overall goals of the national health objectives for 2010 are to increase the quality and years of healthy life and eliminate health disparities in the U.S. population. To assess progress in achieving these goals, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) includes a core set of four health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questions that have been used since 1993 to track adults' perceptions of their physical and mental health and level of function. Data on HRQOL have been reported nationwide and by state but typically not at the county or community level. This report summarizes findings of the 1999-2000 Los Angeles County Health Survey (LACHS) on HRQOL in the county's adult population and describes variations in HRQOL across population groups in the county. The findings have been published in a county health report and are being used by public health officials to highlight the significant disparities in HRQOL across demographic and socioeconomic populations in Los Angeles County and to guide program planning and resource allocation decisions.