U.S. News & World Report highlighted the following eight counties whose poor performance in different health measures stood out from the rest.
Obesity
Holmes County, Miss. — 47 percent are obese, compared to 27 percent nationally
Smoking
Shannon County, S.D. — 41.2 percent smoke, compared to 17 percent nationally
Uninsured adults
Hidalgo County, Texas — 51.3 percent are uninsured, compared to 17 percent nationally
Excessive drinking
Mountrail County, N.D. — 27.3 percent binge drink or drink heavily, compared to 18 percent nationally
Physical inactivity
Scott County, Tenn. — 41.7 percent report no leisure-time physical activity, compared to 23 percent nationally
Doctor-to-patient ratio
Dakota County, Neb. — One physician per 20,950 residents, compared to one per 1,329 people nationally
Teen births
Brooks County, Texas — 123.7 teen births per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19, compared to 35 per 1,000 nationally
Sexually transmitted infections
Shannon County, S.D. — 2,653.1 new chlamydia cases per 100,000 residents, compared to 446.6 per 100,000 nationally
To access the full county health rankings website, click here.
More articles on population health:
Michelle Obama defends healthy eating, exercise initiatives for adolescents
Can cost-effectiveness analyses help plan public health initiatives? Study says no
Camden Coalition awarded $8.7M to build national ‘hot-spotting’ center
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
