Feb. 23--OTTUMWA -- Residents in Wapello County are among the least healthy in the state, according to a recent report.
Wapello County is ranked at 95th out of Iowa's 99 counties in health outcomes, according to a report on overall health released by the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Nearby Appanoose County ranks last in the state at 99th, and Van Buren County ranks 97th.
"Wapello County has a long ways to go in improving healthy behaviors among everybody," said Lynelle Diers, director of Wapello County Public Health, adding that the report is only a snapshot in time of the county's health. "Hopefully next time Wapello County will be ranked a lot higher."
The report looks at several health factors like premature death, smoking, obesity, chlamydia rate, binge drinking, high school graduation, teen birth rates, and hospice use, among other items.
"We will continue to work with stakeholders to form public and private partnerships to improve the health of all residents because that's our ultimate goal," Diers said.
"The physical environment and actual availability of clinics is pretty good," said Wapello County Supervisor Steve Siegel after looking at the report.
Wapello County ranked 16th in physical environment which has improved over the years, Diers said. That could be because of additional trails and outdoor activities available.
The county ranks 23rd in clinical care, though Diers said that the county is facing a shortage of health care providers, especially for mental health.
County officials and residents will do a community health assessment this year, which is conducted every five years, and the recent report, among other information, will be used to help determine the county's strengths and weaknesses, Diers said.
A group of stakeholders will brainstorm and analyze the county's health conditions and look at ways to make it better. When the last assessment was done five years ago, obesity emerged as the biggest issue.
"This is just another thing we can use when we are strategizing and looking at our gaps," Diers said.
The report says that about 18 percent of adults in Wapello County reported fair or poor heath, the target value should be around 8 percent.
Around 27 percent of people in Wapello County reported a body mass index greater or equal to 30 percent.
About 25 percent of children in Wapello County under the age of 18 are living in poverty, according to the report. Statewide, about 14 percent of children live in poverty.
"Where we really fall down is socioeconomic factors, which we already knew," said Siegel. The report ranks the county 95th for social and economic factors. Those include unemployment, income inequality, single-parent households, high school graduation, and others.
There are about 54 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19, according to the report. The target value is 19 per 1,000 births.
"The community has tried to focus on the teen birth rates and making sure women get adequate prenatal care, but it looks like we need to do more in that area," Siegel said.
Pat Shaver can be reached at (641) 683-5360 or by e-mail at p.shaver@ottumwacourier.com.
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