Rankings: DeSoto is healthiest county
DeSoto is the healthiest county in Mississippi in new national rankings that assess a variety of factors to determine where people have the best chance of living a healthy lifestyle.
The data, released Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, ranks DeSoto as first among Mississippi’s 82 counties while Coahoma County, the area around Clarksdale in the Mississippi Delta, is the least healthy. Memphis and Shelby County ranked 57 among Tennessee’s 95 counties. Williamson County, in suburban Nashville, tops the Tennessee list.
The data uses criteria such as housing, education, jobs and access to healthy foods, among other factors, to determine its rankings.
Nationally, the data found a rural and urban divide as well as differences by race. Young white adults in rural areas, for example, were more likely to die from suicide or overdose, and homicides involving firearms were more common for young AfricanAmericans. Most strikingly, the findings showed how the opioid drug epidemic is contributing to early deaths; drug deaths are the leading cause of death among 25- to 44-year-olds nationally.
In Mississippi, hampered in health rankings by high obesity and infant mortality rates, the report says data from 1997 to 2014 shows that 31 counties have improved their premature death rates. Premature deaths are defined as before the age of 75. Another 14 counties, however, have seen their rates worsen, while remaining counties have shown no change.
DeSoto, one of Mississippi’s more affluent counties, has benefited from better access to healthy foods, medical care and better education. Hernando,
the county’s seat, has consistently been recognized for its efforts to promote exercise and healthy eating. The city’s Farmer’s Market is recognized as one of the best in the area.
The market was named Mississippi’s favorite farmer’s market for 2010-2012, and it has ranked in the top five for markets nationwide.
On the down side, the county has the state’s highest number of heroin overdoses, a statistic attributed largely to the county’s proximity to Memphis.
Either way, the president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says the rankings, which have been released for the past eight years, give communities the information they need.
“The rankings allow local leaders to clearly see and prioritize the challenges they face — whether it’s rising premature death rates or the growing drug overdose epidemic — so they can bring community leaders and residents together to find solutions,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey.
Among DeSoto’s neighboring counties, Tunica County ranked 60th among the state’s 82 counties. Marshall County ranked 40th, and Tate County was 15th. Rankin County, in the Jackson suburban area, is the state’s second healthiest county.
For the complete County Health Rankings, visit countyhealthrankings .org.