County Health Rankings spotlight link between health and wealth in Ohio

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released the latest edition of the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps this week (Source: “Wealth means health in Ohio rankings,” Columbus Dispatch via Canton Repository, March 15, 2018).  

Once again the counties rated the healthiest in Ohio were also among the state’s most affluent. Delaware County was the healthiest county in Ohio in 2017, a title it has held for eight of the nine years that the rankings have been issued.

Four of the five healthiest counties are affluent suburban areas. The bottom five, with Adams ranked the lowest at No. 88, are among Ohio’s most impoverished Appalachian counties. In a statement accompanying the release of the national report Wednesday, RWJF’s president acknowledged the clear link between poverty, other social factors and poor health outcomes.

“We can’t be a healthy, thriving nation if we continue to leave entire communities and populations behind,” said Dr. Richard Besser, the foundation’s president and CEO.

This year’s report also shows that gaps in health persist not only based on geography, but also by race and ethnicity. HPIO recently launched a new resource page on health equity. The web page is the first in a series of health equity products that HPIO, through support from County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, will be releasing throughout 2018 to bridge the gap in knowledge and understanding of the issue.