County Health Rankings

The County Health Rankings are a key component of the Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH) project. MATCH is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. This web site provides access to the 50 state reports, ranking each county within the 50 states according to its health outcomes and the multiple health factors that determine a county’s health. Each county receives a summary rank for its health outcomes and health factors and also for the four different types of health factors: health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment. Each county can also drill down to see specific county-level data (as well as state benchmarks) for the measures upon which the rankings are based

2015 County Health Rankings: Key Findings Report

A rich resource of local-level data, the Rankings are an easy-to-use snapshot comparing the health of nearly every county in the nation. The Rankings allow each state to see how its counties compare on 30 factors that impact health, including education, transportation, housing, violent crime, jobs, diet and exercise. This year's Rankings show that almost one out of four children in the U.S. lives in poverty. Child poverty rates are more than twice as high in the unhealthiest counties in each state than in the healthiest counties. The report also looks at distribution in income and the links between income levels and health.In this report the 2015 County Health Rankings show that premature deaths are dropping, with 60 percent of the nation's counties seeing declines. For instance, in the District of Columbia premature death rates have plummeted by nearly one-third based on data from 2004-2006 and 2010-2012. This marks the highest drop in the country for counties with populations of 65,000 or more. But for many counties these rates are not improving -- forty percent of counties are not making progress in reducing premature deaths

2014 Rankings: Key Findings Report

The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program helps communities identify and implement solutions that make it easier for people to be healthy in their schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Ranking the health of nearly every county in the nation, the County Health Rankings illustrate what we know when it comes to what is making people sick or healthy. The Roadmaps show what we can do to create healthier places to live, learn, work, and play. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) collaborates with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI) to bring this program to cities, counties, and states across the nation. Now in its fifth year, the County Health Rankings continue to bring actionable data to communities across the nation. Based on data available, the Rankings are unique in their ability to measure the overall health of each county in all 50 states on the many factors that influence health. They have been used to garner support among government agencies, healthcare providers, community organizations, business leaders, policymakers, and the public for local health improvement initiatives. We compile the Rankings using county-level measures from a variety of national data sources which can be found on page 10. These measures are standardized and combined using scientifically-informed weights. We then rank counties by state, providing two overall ranks: 1. Health outcomes: how healthy a county is now? 2. Health factors: how healthy a county will be in the future? We report these ranks at countyhealthrankings.org, along with all the underlying measures for this year and prior years. We also provide tools to help communities use their data to identify opportunities for improvement and guidance to help them act and improve their health. This document includes: A. A summary of our key national findings B. Information on key measures C. Information on new measures D. Healthiest and least healthy counties in each state E. Comparison of top 10 percent healthiest and bottom 10 percent least healthy counties F. Listing of measures and data source

Addressing Adult Obesity in Columbus, Mississippi

Goal Statement: The goal of my social change portfolio is to identify resources and create a potential plan to prevent adult obesity. Significant Findings: Adults with obesity have increased in Mississippi and within my community because of income inequality, limited access to health providers, and mental, emotional, and physical distress (CDC, n.d.; County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 2018). Lowndes County adult obesity rates are at 37%, whereas the national average is 29% (County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 2018). The key findings of my project indicate that African American and Hispanic ethnicities are affected by obesity most and Black females reported the highest rate of obesity at 50% (County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 2018; MSDH, 2017). Additionally, the trend for adult obesity in Lowndes County is increasing due to limited exercise opportunities, pulbic transportation, and access to healthy food options as 20% of the population does not live near a grocery store (County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 2018). Objectives/Strategies/Interventions/Next Steps: Prevention is the primary objective of professionals through infusing a systemic, ecological approach and community and multidisciplinary collaboration (Conyne, Horne, & Raczynski, 2013; Paydar & Johnson, 2020). Strategies, such as advocating for equity in public policy, offering psychoeducation groups, resources and supportive programs in marginalized communities may provide direction related to best practices, diversity and cultural relevance, program development and evaluation. Collaboration and consultation maybe used to cross boundaries between health and mental health professionals and between scientific and community experts (Conyne, Horne, & Raczynski, 2013). Specifically, establishing partnerships with existing agencies that facilitate evidence-based programs (EBPs), such as Champ4Life, to garner experience, knowledge, and understanding related to preventing obesity are beneficial (Silva et al., 2020)

County Health Rankings & Roadmaps

County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, provides data, evidence, guidance, and examples that youth development professionals can use in their work to improve community health and well-being. The Rankings use a population health model to describe the multiple factors that contribute to health and equity. The information and resources available at the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps website is useful to youth development organization leaders, as it provides guidance for taking action to improve the well-being of youth and communities. Key resources available at www.countyealthrankings.org are discussed

Big Cities: Air Pollution and Human Health

Our project explores the growing issue of air pollution on urban environments throughout the United States. Through the use of the County Health Rankings data set, we investigated the connection amongst air pollution, health outcomes, and other socioeconomic and environmental risk factors

Connecticut Health Gaps Report: What's Driving Health Differences Across the State and How Can Those Gaps Be Closed?

Why is there so much difference in the health of residents in one county compared to other counties in the same state? In this report, the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program explores how wide gaps are throughout Connecticut and what is driving those differences. This information can help Connecticut state leaders as they identify ways for everyone to have a fair chance to lead the healthiest life possible. Specifically, this document can help state leaders understand: 1. What health gaps are and why they matter 2. The size and nature of the health gaps among counties within Connecticut 3. What factors are influencing the health of residents, and 4. What state and local communities can do to address health gaps

Maryland Health Gaps Report: What's Driving Health Differences Across the State and How Can Those Gaps Be Closed?

Why is there so much difference in the health of residents in one county compared to other counties in the same state? In this report, the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program explores how wide gaps are throughout Maryland and what is driving those differences. This information can help Maryland state leaders as they identify ways for everyone to have a fair chance to lead the healthiest life possible. Specifically, this document can help state leaders understand: 1. What health gaps are and why they matter 2. The size and nature of the health gaps among counties within Maryland 3. What factors are influencing the health of residents, and 4. What state and local communities can do to address health gaps

Mississippi Health Gaps Report: What's Driving Health Differences Across the State and How Can Those Gaps Be Closed?

Why is there so much difference in the health of residents in one county compared to other counties in the same state? In this report, the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program explores how wide gaps are throughout Mississippi and what is driving those differences. This information can help Mississippi state leaders as they identify ways for everyone to have a fair chance to lead the healthiest life possible. Specifically, this document can help state leaders understand: 1. What health gaps are and why they matter 2. The size and nature of the health gaps among counties within Mississippi 3. What factors are influencing the health of residents, and 4. What state and local communities can do to address health gaps

Georgia Health Gaps Report: What's Driving Health Differences Across the State and How Can Those Gaps Be Closed?

Why is there so much difference in the health of residents in one county compared to other counties in the same state? In this report, the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program explores how wide gaps are throughout Georgia and what is driving those differences. This information can help Georgia state leaders as they identify ways for everyone to have a fair chance to lead the healthiest life possible. Specifically, this document can help state leaders understand: 1. What health gaps are and why they matter 2. The size and nature of the health gaps among counties within Georgia 3. What factors are influencing the health of residents, and 4. What state and local communities can do to address health gaps