More Riverside County residents – adults and young people –
smoke than in previous years, and residents eat fast food more
often than the rest of California. Those factors might help
explain why Riverside County ranks near the bottom in overall
health among California counties and why more than 60 percent of
early deaths here are caused by heart disease, cancer, lung
disease and stroke. These nuggets and more detailed information
can be found in the 2013 Community Health Profile, an 83-page
snapshot of the health of county residents. The report, released
by the County of Riverside Department of Public Health,
describes the health issues facing Riverside County residents.
It illustrates the scope of the chronic disease problem, the
behaviors that lead to disease, and suggests opportunities to
change behaviors to improve health. Recent studies ranked
Riverside County 32nd among California’s 58 counties in overall
health. “We’re using data to tell a story; create a roadmap,”
said Wendy Hetherington, chief epidem