A nationwide report called the “2010 County Health Rankings” was released Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The report compares the overall health of counties in every state across the nation. Of Iowa’s 99 counties, Sioux County ranked highest in overall health; Johnson County ranked first in factors that influence health.
The rankings are health outcomes (based on measures of length and quality of life); and health factors (based on four major factors that influence health outcomes: behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment).
“Poweshiek County ranked above the 50 percent level in all measures except one area. We feel this is a very good benchmark for the county and shows the positive impact of public health efforts in Poweshiek County,” says Patty Hinrichs, director of Grinnell Regional Public Health. “However, there is room for improvement and we will use this information to address gaps in public health for county residents.”
Poweshiek County ranked 16 out of 99 counties for overall health. This measure is based on mortality and morbidity. To delve into the research, Poweshiek County ranked 20 for mortality rate, representing length of life, based on a measure of premature death: the years of potential life lost prior to age 75. The morbidity rank for Poweshiek County was 25 in the state, based on measures that represent health-related quality of life and birth outcomes. Researchers combine four morbidity measures: self-reported fair or poor health, poor physical health days, poor mental health days, and the percent of births with low birth weight.
In the ranking for health factors, Poweshiek County ranks 30 out of 99 counties. To calculate the summary score of health factors, weights were determined for each of the four major factors – health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment.
Healthy behaviors include measures of smoking, diet and exercise, alcohol use, and risky sex behavior. This was the area with the lowest rank for Poweshiek County. Clinical care includes measures of access to care and quality of care. Social and economic factors include measures of education, employment, income, family and social support, and community safety. The physical environment includes measures of environmental (air and particulate) quality and the built environment (access to healthy foods, liquor stores density).
Poweshiek County ranked its lowest score in healthy behaviors at 52 out of 99. In clinical care, the county ranked 14 in the state. Social and economic factors scored 45 out of 99 counties. The final measure, physical environment, ranked the best at sixth in the state.
“This is valuable information to build a healthier county. We will conduct the Community Health Needs Assessment in 2010 and form a Health Improvement Plan. These tools will give community members a chance to provide input on health needs for Poweshiek County,” Hinrichs says.
“It’s important to understand these rankings do not present a complete picture of what Iowa’s counties have accomplished,” said Iowa Department of Public Health Director Tom Newton. “These rankings will be used in conjunction with other community health assessments and planning efforts to find the best ways to address challenges and build upon successes.”
While Newton says IDPH takes these rankings and all health assessments seriously, he says they are simply tools to review and identify weaknesses or gaps in the health factors in individual counties. Newton says the rankings should also be used to illustrate the need for continued public and government support for public health efforts, as well as to stimulate public and private partnerships to advance community health.
Reports for every state are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org. For more information on Poweshiek County Health, contact the public health office at 641-236-2385.
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