Southeast Counties Among States Unhealthiest

Southeast Iowa counties rank near the bottom in the state in a county-by-county health-ranking list released recently. http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/

The report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute focused on a variety of issues including the quality of health care available, individual behaviors, education and the environment.

Health outcomes measure how healthy residents are and how long they live. Health factors focus on tobacco use, diet and exercise, unsafe sex and alcohol use. It also takes into account the access to clinical care and the quality of that care. Genetics and biology are not included in the rankings.

Of the 99 counties in Iowa, Jefferson county ranked 66th in health outcomes and 65th on health factors; Henry County was 59th in health outcomes and 42nd in health factors; Lee County ranked 96th in health outcomes and 94th in health factors; Van Buren County was 97th in health outcomes and 92nd in health factors.

-From KMCD e-News