Clinton County continues to have some of the healthiest residents in Michigan, according to the annual County Health Rankings, released yesterday by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
According to this year’s Rankings, Clinton County ranked 6 out of 82 in Health Outcomes and Health factors. The Rankings measure two types of health outcomes to represent how healthy each county is: how long people live (mortality), and how healthy people feel (morbidity). Four types of health factors are measured: health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic, and the physical environment.
Many different indicators within each health factor are measured, including:
-Rates of adult smoking
-Rates of high school graduation
-Adult obesity
-Air pollution levels
-Excessive drinking among adults
-Access to healthy foods
-Teenage births
-Community safety
-Number of uninsured adults
-Children in poverty
-Availability of primary care providers
-Adults who have attended college
-Preventable hospital stays
These indicators were selected because they are important aspects of health that can be measured over time and improved. It’s important to point out that the county’s overall ranking is not as important as the individual measures that make up the rankings.
This is the second year of the Rankings, the most comprehensive report of its kind to rank overall health. The Rankings help everyone see where people live, learn, work and play influence how healthy they are and how long they live.
Last year Clinton County ranked 5 out of 82, but rather than imply that the county got worse, it is more likely that other counties improved.
“The Rankings highlight that there are many factors that contribute to health. Health is everyone’s business and we all need to work together to assure our county residents are healthy,” said Kimberly Singh, Health Officer for the Mid-Michigan District Health Department. “Clinton County is fortunate to have a supportive and visionary Board of Commissioners and extensive community partnerships, which have all added to its high ranking,” she added.
The Rankings are available for everyone to see at www.countyhealthrankings.org.