Delco now ranked 26th healthiest county in Pa.
Delaware County ranks 26 out of 67 counties for overall health outcomes in Pennsylvania under a study released Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
That represents a nearly 10-county jump from the same report released last year and the best ranking for Delco since the annual compilation looking at nearly every county in every state began six years ago.
The report looks at factors like premature death rates (identified as those dying younger than 75), quality of life, health factors like smoking and obesity rates, clinical care and socioeconomic factors in compiling the data, which is then ranked.
Chester County tops the overall list while Philadelphia ranks the lowest. Delaware County previously trended in the 30s and 40s; this is the first time it has cracked the 20s.
Some areas show the county nearing the top of the list and getting into single digits for clinical care and health behaviors, though it still ranks 55 in terms of physical environment.
Issues like preventable hospital stays, diabetes monitoring and mammography screenings are improving, according to the report, while others such as sexually transmitted disease appear to be worsening.
Nationally, premature death rates are on the rise, according to the report, especially in groups aged 15 to 44. Drug overdose was the single leading cause of premature death by injury for 2014 and 2015, the reports says, with large suburban metro areas seeing the biggest spike. Vehicle crashes and firearm fatalities also played a larger role in premature deaths.
The report, available online at countyhealthrankings.org, also focuses on a new group this year: “Disconnected youth,” identified as those aged 16 to 24 who are not in school and not working.
About one in eight youths in America today fit that description, with the highest rates seen in American Indian/Alaskan Native, African American and Hispanic populations, according to the report.
The report indicates that places with high levels of youth disconnection have higher rates of unemployment, child poverty, children in single-parent households and teen births, as well as lower educational attainment.
“These years represent a critical stage in an individual’s journey toward independence, self-sufficiency, and civic engagement in adulthood,” the report states.
“Youth disconnected from opportunity – meaning the chance to advance in school, gain work experience, form relationships, and build social supports in the community – represent untapped potential to strengthen the social and economic vibrancy of our communities.”
The report makes several recommendations for improving health outcomes, such as expanding access to quality mental and behavioral health services; reducing access to lethal methods of self-harm like medications and firearms; preventing crime by partnering with local law enforcement; and reducing vehicle accidents by encouraging safe and sober driving.