Poughkeepsie, NY... Dutchess County is among the healthiest counties in New York State according to County Health Rankings, a new report released today by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.    Dutchess County ranks 11th for overall Health Outcomes (how healthy we are), and 10th in Health Factors (how healthy we can be) among all New York State counties.  According to the report, programs and policies impact a community health factors which in turn influence health outcomes. 

County Executive Steinhaus said: “For the first time, we can compare the overall health of our county residents to the health of the other sixty two New York State counties.   Our high rankings demonstrate how our priority health initiatives such the HeartSafe Communities, the Comprehensive Cancer Control, Youth Tobacco Use Prevention and Childhood Obesity Prevention have made a positive impact on the health of our residents.” 

The County Health Rankings is the first report to rank the overall health of the counties in all 50 states by using a standard formula to measure how healthy people are and how long they live.  Researchers used five measures to assess the level of overall health or “health outcomes”: 

          the rate of people dying before age 75,
          the percent of people who report being in fair or poor health,
          the number of days people report being in poor physical and poor mental health,
          and the rate of low-birthweight infants.  

The report then reviewed factors that impact the health outcomes in four category areas: health behavior, clinical care, social and economic factor, and physical environment.  Health factors are influenced by community-based programs and policies. People who live in communities such as Dutchess County with smoke-free laws and abundant park and recreational space are less likely to be exposed to second hand smoke, reducing their risk of lung cancer and are more likely to exercise.  Among the many health factors, researchers looked at the rates of adult smoking, adult obesity, binge drinking and teenage pregnancy; the number of uninsured adults, the availability of primary care providers, and preventable hospital stays; the rates of high school graduation, the number of children in poverty, the rates of violent crime, access to healthy foods, air pollution levels, and liquor store density. 

“This report is an additional tool for the Department of Health as we continue to assess the progress we are making in meeting our prevention agenda,” said Michael C. Caldwell,  MD, MPH, Dutchess County’s Commissioner of Health. ”It will help facilitate better strategic planning  with our partners as we remain committed to the common goal of ensuring our residents continue to enjoy a healthy quality of life here in Dutchess County,” he said. 

The entire report, which is available online at http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/, includes a snapshot of each county in New York State with a color-coded map comparing each county’s overall health ranking.  The Rankings will be released for the next three years (2010-2012) so every county has an annual benchmark as the community works to improve its health outcomes.