Smoking, Obesity Put Bartow at 51st Healthiest County in Georgia

The rankings, published by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, allow more than 3,000 counties and the District of Columbia to compare how healthy their residents are and how long they live.

In "Health Factors," which includes smoking, drinking and other behaviors, social and economic factors, and the physical environment, Bartow ranked 51st of the 156 in Georgia. In the 2011 study, Bartow fell below nearby Paulding, Fulton and other area metro Atlanta counties, and above Polk County.

Bartow had higher rates of premature death, children in poverty and teen births and higher than average adult smoking and adult obesity. Unemployment also was a factor.

 

Georgia  Bartow  Cherokee  Cobb Health Outcomes 51 4 6 Mortality 63 6 5 Premature death 7,965 9,287 5,465 5,432 Morbidity 52 7 11 Poor or fair health 16% 21% 11% 11% Poor physical health days 3.6 3.7 2.9 3 Poor mental health days 3.4 4.5 2.8 2.9 Low birthweight 9.40% 7.70% 7.30% 8.10% Health Factors 51 6 7 Health Behaviors 67 12 4 Adult smoking 19% 26% 18% 15% Adult obesity 28% 26% 28% 24% Physical inactivity 24% 25% 22% 21% Excessive drinking 14% 17% 17% 17% Motor vehicle crash death rate 17 20 12 9 Sexually transmitted infections 411 187 133 288 Teen birth rate 54 76 33 36 Clinical Care 68 32 26 Uninsured 21% 21% 17% 20% Primary care physicians 1,024:1 1,532:1 1,946:1 1,148:1 Preventable hospital stays 68 87 67 63 Diabetic screening 83% 86% 86% 84% Mammography screening 66% 64% 66% 68% Social and Economic Factors 48 6 10 High school graduation 81% 82% 82% 87% Some college 58% 43% 69% 72% Unemployment 10.20% 11.70% 8.90% 9.70% Children in poverty 25% 22% 12% 20% Inadequate social support 21% 19% 14% 17% Children in single-parent households 36% 29% 20% 28% Violent crime rate 470 391 87 322 Physical Environment 114 33 144 Air pollution-particulate matter days 2 6 3 4 Air pollution-ozone days 12 2 6 26 Access to recreational facilities 8 6 13 10 Limited access to healthy foods 10% 21% 10% 7% Fast food restaurants 50% 47% 43% 49%