Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
2012
* 90th percentile, i.e., only 10% are better.
Note: Blank values reflect unreliable or missing data
Ohio is comprised of 88 counties. The information above represents the latest statistics (2012) on county health rankings. As you can see, Scioto is a very unhealthy county. It ranks dead last in state mortality rates and health factors (88th of all 88 counties). Also, Scioto does little better in health outcomes, morbidity, and health behaviors ranking next to last (87th of all 88 counties) in these important categories.
Scioto County health statistics highlighted in red represent figures that fall short of Ohio county averages and the National Benchmark. The gold highlights figures that fall below either Ohio county averages or the National Benchmark. The county scores well in "air pollution particulate matter days" and in "air pollution-ozone days." Scioto ranks well above other Ohio counties in the percentage of high school graduate.
The
Scioto County Health Coalition has been formed as an umbrella group meant to bridge the
gap between all the Scioto County citizens, government agencies,
private sector businesses and non-governmental organizations, for the
purpose of addressing Scioto County’s ranking 87/88 in health outcomes
and 88/88 in health factors.
The
coalition is organized around the concept of a super coalition meeting
the second Friday of every month. The day consists of 6 workshops:
* The
Wellness Committee,
* The Medical/Clinical Committee,
* The Planning
Committee (Community Development),
* The Code Enforcement Taskforce,
* The
Land Re-utilization Committee (Economic Development), and
* The Scioto
County Drug Action Team Alliance.
Anyone can attend one or more of the work groups
according to their interests. Work groups do not have official
members; this is a coalition of everyone interested in improving the
health of all Scioto County citizens. The coalition philosophy is work
oriented, informal, and transparent. The coalition has a non competitive, optimistic
atmosphere. It maintains a county-wide focus and is managed by evidence-based objectives.
Here is the Scioto Coalition website:
My Take
The population of Scioto County is 76,334 with that of Ohio at 11,542,645. Here are some other factors that influence health outcomes:
Social and Economic Factors
Health Care
All citizens must contribute to efforts to change these horrific conditions. There is no reason that the people in Scioto County should continue to be inattentive and/or inactive. We must focus our work on the areas that clearly mark us as an unhealthy populace. Gaining knowledge is the first step toward individual and group improvement. And, believe me, there is a lot to learn.
I urge you to become a part of the Scioto County Health Coalition. Let me remind you again that meetings are all day on the second Friday of every month. Click on the link above to access the coalition.
Just as important, we must take the initiative to improve our own health and do what we can to improve our own individual unhealthy bodies. This is no easy task with so many unhealthy conditions in our midst. If we use the method of "divide and conquer," we each can choose a course of action that will enable us to have direct impact on the total health of Scioto County. Each individual improvement will better the statistics.
Just one more suggestion, please. Let's put extra effort into raising healthy children. I think these measures would reap benefits:
* Mandatory PE in all classes (K-12)
* Scores of good adult role models who decide to give up smoking
* Less fast food meals even though kids are involved and active, often missing home mealtimes
* More mental health screening and counseling for all students
* Mandatory, evidence-based prescription drug education (K-12)
* Access to contraceptives and open discussions about adolescent sexual behavior
* Strong measures to combat sleep deprivation and school absence
* Programs to increase understanding and appreciation of Appalachian history and positive, simple values
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