Birthrates Vary Widely in County, Study Shows : Health: Oxnard’s is three times that of Thousand Oaks. Results will help decide funding for prenatal, early childhood and parenting programs.

Birthrates vary dramatically across Ventura County’s 10 cities, with Oxnard’s soaring three times as high as that of Thousand Oaks, a new study shows.

The number of live births for every 1,000 residents ranges from a low of 8.2 in Thousand Oaks to a high of 25.9 in Oxnard, according to a recent report released by the Ventura County Health Care Agency.

That report--the first comprehensive look at birth and fertility rates across the county--was presented to the Board of Supervisors last week.

The findings will help public health officials determine how tax dollars can best be spent and bolster requests for more money to pay for prenatal, early childhood and parenting programs in areas with high birthrates, officials said.

“Prenatal care is very important in reducing the cost” of caring for unhealthy babies, said Dr. Elizabeth A. Trebow, of the county’s public health department. “The earlier and more frequent prenatal care the better.”

County Supervisor Maggie Kildee said before Tuesday’s meeting that the statistical analysis, titled the 1994 Health Status Report for Ventura County, will help county officials seek state and federal funds related to maternal and infant health.

“I don’t think there’s any local dollars to increase (prenatal) programs,” Kildee said. “But we can certainly go after grants or any kind of federal or state help available.”

The report was prepared by a newly formed research office in the county’s public health department. It is the first part of a county health report card that will be issued each year, said Phillipp K. Wessels, director of the Health Care Agency.

Two more sections of this year’s health status report will be released in coming months, Wessels said. The second section will look at mortality in Ventura County, including the 10 leading causes of death as compared to the state and nation.

The third section will focus on pediatric and preventable injuries, he said. Information contained in the reports will be used to drive private and public policy decisions regarding health care in Ventura County, Wessels said in a letter to supervisors.

The initial report focuses on birth and fertility rates across Ventura County in 1990, when the last U. S. census was taken. The east county cities of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley had the lowest births per 1,000 residents, with 8.2 and 10.2, respectively.

Fertility rates, which measure births per 1,000 females 15 to 44 years old, were also lowest in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. Thousand Oaks’ fertility rate was 34.2, while Simi Valley’s was moderately higher at 39.2.

Those rates more than doubled in the west county cities of Oxnard, Santa Paula and Fillmore. Births per 1,000 women of childbearing age there were 109, 117.1 and 117.3, respectively.

When broken down by ethnic group, the study found that Latino women in Ventura County had a fertility rate more than twice that of white, Asian or Native American women.

Ethnicity was emphasized in the study so that health officials can define needy populations and offer medical care that is culturally sensitive, the report says.

The numbers affirm earlier census data showing that the proportion of Latinos in Ventura County is growing faster than any other ethnic group. Cities with Latino majorities in the 1990 census--Fillmore, Santa Paula and Oxnard--are also the communities with the highest fertility rates.

The report also analyzed infant mortality rates in Ventura County compared to the statewide average. Demographers consider infant mortality a good indication of a region’s overall health, county officials said.

For the years 1990 through 1992, Ventura County’s infant mortality rate was 5.6 per 1,000 live births, compared to the California average of eight per 1,000 live births. In 1993, the county infant mortality rate dropped to 5.5, while California’s dropped to 6.8 per 1,000 births.

Ventura County also had a lower number of births to young mothers compared to the state. During the years 1990 to 1992, 3.9% of births were to mothers 10 to 17. By contrast, the state average was 4.5% for the same period.

Times staff writer Carlos V. Lozano contributed to this story.

Birthrates

Figures for Ventura County’s cities are based on births per 1,000 of population. Thousand Oaks: 8.2 Simi Valley: 10.2 Camarillo: 13.5 Ventura: 17.7 Moorpark: 18.2 Ojai: 20.4 Port Hueneme: 23.2 Fillmore: 24.9 Santa Paula: 25.3 Oxnard: 25.9 Source: Ventura County Health Care Agency