When you measure health outcomes by looking at premature death, poor or fair health, poor physical health days, poor mental health days and low birth weight, you find Boone County, West Virginia ranks among the worst in the state of West Virginia.

A new 2013 study by “The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps” ranks Boone County 51st out of 55 counties in the state in health outcomes. Only McDowell (55th), Wyoming (54th), Mingo (53rd) and Logan (52nd) ranked worse.

“Where we live matters to our health. The health of a community depends on many different factors, including the environment, education and jobs, access to and quality of healthcare, and individual behavior,” the study said. “We can improve a community’s health by implementing effective policies and programs. For example, people who live in communities with smoke‐free laws are less likely to smoke or to be exposed to second‐hand smoke, which reduces lung cancer risk. In addition, people who live in communities with safe and accessible park and recreation space are more likely to exercise, which reduces heart disease risk.”

The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program provides information on the overall health of communities and provides the tools necessary to create community‐based, evidence‐informed solutions.

“In this model, health outcomes are measures that describe the current health status of a county,” the study said. “These health outcomes are influenced by a set of health factors. Counties can improve health outcomes by addressing all health factors with effective, evidence‐informed policies and programs.”

“Everyone has a stake in community health. We all need to work together to find solutions. The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps serve as both a call to action and a needed tool in this effort,” the study concluded.

The county-by-county study can be found online at http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/west-virginia/2013/compare-counties/



Boone

County Error

Margin West Virginia National

Benchmark* Trend Rank

(51 of 55)

Health Outcomes 51

Mortality 51

Premature death

12,529 10,993-14,066 9,351 5,317

Morbidity 49

Poor or fair health

30% 26-35% 22% 10%

Poor physical health days

6.8 5.6-8.0 4.9 2.6

Poor mental health days

5.8 4.8-6.9 4.4 2.3

Low birthweight

10.3% 9.0-11.5% 9.4% 6.0%

Health Factors 40

Health Behaviors 48

Adult smoking

31% 26-37% 26% 13%

Adult obesity

35% 30-40% 33% 25%

Physical inactivity

41% 36-47% 33% 21%

Excessive drinking

10% 7-14% 10% 7%

Motor vehicle crash death rate

35 27-45 20 10

Sexually transmitted infections

142 209 92

Teen birth rate

68 61-75 45 21

Clinical Care 32

Uninsured

15% 13-17% 17% 11%

Primary care physicians**

2,734:1 1,310:1 1,067:1

Dentists**

4,948:1 2,305:1 1,516:1

Preventable hospital stays

144 129-159 99 47

Diabetic screening

85% 77-94% 83% 90%

Mammography screening

55% 46-65% 61% 73%

Social & Economic Factors 22

High school graduation**

76% 78%

Some college

36% 31-42% 51% 70%

Unemployment

7.4% 8.0% 5.0%

Children in poverty

27% 20-34% 26% 14%

Inadequate social support

17% 13-21% 19% 14%

Children in single-parent households

24% 18-30% 30% 20%

Violent crime rate

262 298 66

Physical Environment 20

Daily fine particulate matter

12.5 12.4-12.6 12.6 8.8

Drinking water safety

0% 2% 0%

Access to recreational facilities

0 7 16

Limited access to healthy foods**

1% 6% 1%

Fast food restaurants

50% 52% 27%

* 90th percentile, i.e., only 10% are better.

** Data should not be compared with prior years due to changes in definition.

(Note: Blank values reflect unreliable or missing data.)