LA County Public Health - Chronic Disease & Injury Prevention

	September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Suicide continues to be a leading cause of premature death and we can all play a role to promote social connections and emotional well-being, raise awareness of the risk factors, be alert for warning signs, and decrease stigma surrounding mental health. In observance of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, DPH has released a new data brief on Youth Suicide Prevention in LA County. Learn more.

	Public Health Receives Award for Child Passenger Safety Program The California Office of Traffic Safety has awarded the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health the Child Passenger Safety Program Grant to increase access to child passenger safety resources and to provide more outreach to LA County families on how to properly install car seats and booster seats. Click to read more.

	Food Insecurity in Los Angeles County In Los Angeles County, more than a half-million households with incomes less than 300% of the federal poverty level are food insecure, which means many people face barriers purchasing nutritional foods at some time during the year. The Department of Public Health released a report examining the state of food insecurity in LA County and provides recommendations for multi-sector partnership and innovation to increase access to healthy foods. Click to learn more.

	Impact of Suicide in Los Angeles County, 2017 Suicide rates in Los Angeles County indicate a serious and significant public health issue. Click to learn more.

	Less TV Time. More Play Time. Children are spending more time in front of screens (TVs, computers, tablets, and phones) than they are being physically active. This puts them at high risk for obesity. The younger they develop these habits, the harder it becomes for them to turn the screens off as they get older. Choose Health LA has tips to help parents reduce screen time and increase play time. Learn more.

	Public Health Report Calls for a Parks Prescription Cities and communities with less park space on average have higher rates of premature death from heart disease and stroke and diabetes, higher prevalence of childhood obesity, and greater economic hardship compared with cities and communities with more park space. Parks and Public Health in Los Angeles County: A Cities and Communities Report reveals that socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequities in park space exist across Los Angeles County. Click the image to learn more.

	Healthy Meal Tips for You and Your Family Eating habits are learned. What your kids learn to eat now sets the stage for how they eat as adults. Show them how to make smarter choices so they’ll build lifelong healthy habits with these tips. To find restaurants in your neighborhood offering healthier options, visit Choose Health LA Restaurants.

	Get Back to a Healthier You ChooseHealthLAMoms.com is a new website designed by postpartum experts and moms to help mothers return to a healthier weight after having a baby. This free, six-month program encourages three simple activities: exclusive breastfeeding, drinking water and walking. The online library of resources include support for breastfeeding as well as stress management, mental health and nutrition. Take the first step to a healthier, happier you here

	Rising Food Insecurity in Los Angeles County Too many people in Los Angeles County aren’t able to afford sufficient healthy food to meet their nutritional needs. This problem, which we describe using the term food insecurity, impacts an estimated 530,000 LA County households. "Rising Food Insecurity In Los Angeles County" provides an overview of the data on food insecurity and highlights resources that can help. Click the image to learn more.

	Water: the Healthiest Choice Our latest campaign is aimed at parents and focuses on providing simple, straightforward information about soda, sports and juice drinks and their link to childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes. The multilingual media campaign encourages parents to give their children water and remove sugary drinks from their diet. Sugary drinks, which can represent up to 40% of a child’s total caloric intake, are a leading cause of obesity among children. To find out more information and fun water recipes, click here

	Marketing Matters Toolkit As part of the First 5 LA funded Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in partnership with ChangeLab Solutions, released Marketing Matters: A White Paper on Strategies to Reduce Unhealthy Food and Beverage Marketing to Young Children. Learn about what food and beverage ads have to do with the health of your neighborhood by clicking on the image.

	Promoting Baby-Friendly Hospitals in Los Angeles County: Financial and Technical Assistance Improve Breastfeeding Rates The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health assisted maternity hospitals throughout the County to implement or improve practices that support breastfeeding. Hospitals can receive the international Baby-Friendly designation for implementing these best practices. This brief examines how resources and progress toward achieving Baby-Friendly designation can impact hospitals’ ability to improve breastfeeding rates. Click the image for more information.

	Active Transportation in Los Angeles County In 2013, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health sponsored a countywide field survey to gauge public support for active transportation efforts in the region. This brief delves into the public interest for better sidewalks, more bike paths and trails, and safer city streets. The brief concludes with recommendations on how to advance active transportation projects. Click image to view the brief.

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