The El Dorado County Public Health Department has released "Measuring our Health: The Health Status Report of El Dorado County 2008."

The report, produced by the Public Health Department, contains data on a variety of health-related indicators and compares El Dorado County data with state and regional data and the national Healthy People 2010 objectives. An online version of the Health Status Report is available online at www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/publichealth.

According to El Dorado County Health Officer Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, "The report shows that the overall health of the county is good, but it could be better."

For example, compared to surrounding counties and the state, El Dorado County has lower rates of coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes, but higher rates of domestic violence, child abuse, skin cancer and motor vehicle crashes.

The report offers the latest available data on 43 indicators of health in 10 categories:

- Chronic disease

- Infectious disease

- Unintentional injuries

- Violent and abusive behavior

- Health and social behaviors

- Mothers and infants

- Children and adolescents

- Senior citizen health

- Economy

- Other health indicators

"One of the core functions of public health is monitoring the health of the community," Eberhart-Phillips said. "The Health Status Report is an important tool that provides a window into the major health issues that confront our county. It shows how rates of disease and injury have changed in the population over time, and how we compare to other counties and the state. The report also examines behavioral, social and economic factors that can influence the health of our communities. This information can stimulate discussion and can be a starting point for framing successful public health responses." 

This is the fifth health status report that the Public Health Department has produced for the County. Previous reports were produced in 2004, 2002, 1999 and 1997.

For more information about the report, contact Lois Hathway at (530) 621-6240.