Princeton, N.J., and Madison, Wis.—A new report examines the health and well-being of people living in nearly every county in the United States, and finds that rates of premature deaths are at the lowest level in 20 years. Nevertheless, people in the unhealthiest counties are dying too early at more than twice the rates of those in the healthiest counties.

The 2013 County Health Rankings rely on a robust set of data and analysis that allows counties to see what it is that is making residents sick or healthy, and how they compare to other counties in the same state. This is the fourth year of the Rankings, published online at www.countyhealthrankings.org by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI). The Rankings data helps to lay the groundwork for health improvement efforts of governors, mayors, business leaders, and citizens across the country.

The County Health Rankings shows that how long and how well people live depends on multiple factors beyond just their access to medical care. It examines 25 factors that influence health, including rates of childhood poverty, rates of smoking, obesity levels, teen birth rates, access to physicians and dentists, rates of high school graduation and college attendance, access to healthy foods, levels of physical inactivity, and percentages of children living in single parent households.

Although the Rankings only allow for county-to-county comparisons within a state, this year’s Rankings show significant new national trends:

• Child poverty rates have not improved since 2000, with more than one in five children living in poverty.
• Violent crime has decreased by almost 50 percent over the past two decades.
• The counties where people don’t live as long and don’t feel as well mentally or physically have the highest rates of smoking, teen births, and physical inactivity, as well as more preventable hospital stays.
• Teen birth rates are more than twice as high in the least healthy counties than in the healthiest counties.
• Access to health care remains an important factor and this year, the Rankings include residents’ access to dentists, as well as primary care doctors. Residents living in healthier counties are 1.4 times more likely to have access to a doctor and dentist than those in the least healthy counties.

The Rankings are one facet of the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program, which supports communities working to improve health. RWJF just awarded six communities the RWJF Roadmaps to Health Prize for their trailblazing strategies to create a culture of health. The call for applications for the 2014 RWJF Roadmaps to Health Prize is being released today at
www.rwjf.org/goto/prize and www.countyhealthrankings.org.

“The County Health Rankings can be put to use right away by leaders in government, business, health care, and every citizen motivated to work together to create a culture of health in their community,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, RWJF president and CEO. “The Rankings are driving innovation, unleashing creativity, and inspiring big changes to improve health in communities large and small throughout the country.”

The Rankings are based on the latest publicly available data for each county and serve as a unique local tool. This year, the Rankings are easier to use than ever with interactive maps and new county-level trend graphs detailing changes over time for several measures, including children in poverty, unemployment, and quality of care.

“We all have a stake in creating a healthier community and no single sector alone can tackle the health challenges in any given community,” said Patrick Remington, MD, MPH, professor and associate dean at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “Collaboration is critical. The Rankings are sparking action all over the country as people from all sectors join forces to create new possibilities in health—county by county.”

The County Health Rankings and Roadmaps website, www.countyhealthrankings.org, also includes What Works for Health, which shows the policies and programs that work best to improve health. The website’s Action Center offers access to free personalized assistance to places that need guidance on what steps to take to make their communities healthier places to live, learn, work, and play.

Follow the County Health Rankings on Twitter (@CHRankings) or Facebook, and join the conversation by using #healthrankings.

Media Contacts:    

Christine Clayton | Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | media@rwjf.org | (609)627-5937
Kay Campbell | Burness Communications | kcampbell@burnesscommunications.com | (301)652-1558
Toni Williams | Burness Communications | twilliams@burnesscommunications.com | (301)652-1558

ABOUT THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, measurable, and timely change. For 40 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. Follow the Foundation on Twitter (www.rwjf.org/twitter) or Facebook (www.rwjf.org/facebook).

About the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute is the focal point within the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health for translating public health and health policy research into practice. The Institute strives to:

• Address a broad range of real-world problems of topical importance to government, business, providers and the public;
• Promote partnerships of inquiry between researchers and users of research, breaking down barriers between the academic community and public and private sector policy makers; and
• Make useful contributions to public health and health policy decisions that improve the health of the public,

For more information, visit http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu.