Bristol County again healthiest in R.I.

BRISTOL COUNTY was the healthiest county and Providence County was the least healthiest county in Rhode Island in the latest edition of the national County Health Rankings. / COURTESY ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION AND UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN POPULATION HEALTH INSTITUTE
BRISTOL COUNTY was the healthiest county and Providence County was the least healthiest county in Rhode Island in the latest edition of the national County Health Rankings. / COURTESY ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION AND UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN POPULATION HEALTH INSTITUTE

PROVIDENCE – Bristol County again is the healthiest county in the state and Providence is the least, according to the sixth annual County Health Rankings by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Newport County was second, followed by Washington at third, and Kent at fourth. Providence County came in last at fifth.

The rankings were unchanged from 2014.

The 2015 Rankings compared the health of nearly every county in the nation. The local-level data allows each state to see how its counties compare on 30 factors that influence health including education, housing, violent crime, jobs, diet and exercise.

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Bristol County reported eight teen births, while Newport County reported 16; Washington, 9; Kent, 21; and Providence County, 34.

Bristol ranked high for quality of life, and positive health behaviors including a 13 percent adult smoking rate, as well as social and economic factors including a 92 percent high school graduation rate, 76 percent of the population reporting some college and 9 percent child poverty rate.

It slipped from first to second in categories of premature death and physical environment – Newport County won the top spot in those categories.

Newport County reported an 82 percent high school graduation rate, 77 percent of the population reporting some college, a 13 percent smoking rate and 14 percent of children in poverty.

Washington County reported an 87 percent high school graduation rate, 74 percent reporting some college, as well as a 14 percent smoking rate and 11 percent child poverty rate.

Kent County’s graduation rate was 83 percent, while 68 percent reported some college. Twelve percent of children are in poverty. Nineteen percent smoke, and 20 percent reported excessive drinking.

Providence County, in comparison, had a 73 percent high school graduation rate, 60 percent reporting some college, 26 percent of children living in poverty and a 17 percent smoking rate. Eighteen percent reported drinking excessively.

“The County Health Rankings have helped galvanize communities across the nation to improve health,” Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, foundation president and CEO, said in a statement.

Nationally, this year’s rankings show that the healthiest counties in each state have higher college attendance, fewer preventable hospital stays and better access to parks and gyms. The least healthy counties in each state have more smokers, more teen births and more alcohol-related car crash deaths. The rankings also looked at the links between income levels and distribution and health.

The rankings revealed the following national trends:

  • One out of four children in the U.S. lives in poverty. Child poverty rates are more than twice as high in the unhealthiest counties in each state than in the healthiest counties.
  • Having a job influences health. Unemployment rates are 1.5 times higher in the least healthy counties in each state as they are in the healthiest counties.
    Unemployment was nearly 9 percent in Bristol County, compared with 11.2 percent in Providence County.

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