Survey Shows Winnebago County Dropping in Terms of Overall Health
By: Scott Picken
Updated: March 20, 2013
WINNEBAGO COUNTY -- An annual survey by the University of Wisconsin of County Health Rankings shows that the Stateline generally ranks high when it comes to overall health with the glaring exception of Winnebago County, which finished 82nd out of 102 Illinois Counties. To its credit, the Winnebago County Health Department both acknowledges the poor showing and is promising to respond.
"With this knowledge, we can take steps to improve our weakest factors, which will contribute to improving the health of our residents," said Winnebago County Public Health Administrator, Mike Bacon in a news release.
Bacon calls the survey the most comprehensive review of its kind by ranking the overall health of nearly every county in all 50 states by using a standard method to measure health outcomes and contributing factors. Winnebago County scored as second to worst in the state when it came to physical environment, which includes issues such as limited access to healthy foods and number of fast food restaurants, and social and economic factors. The county's poor high school graduation rate, high unemployment rate, and violent crime rate contributed to tha score.
"No single sector alone can solve the health challenges in a community. Everyone has a role to play. The Rankings show that things like having a job, a good education, access to healthy foods, and a safe place to live affect how healthy we are. It's about bringing members of the community together to take action to prevent disease and improve health," Bacon added.
The rest of Northern Illinois scored relatively well. Jo Daviess County ranked second in the entire state. Other area counties scored as follows:
- Jo Daviess-2
- DeKalb-14
- McHenry-17
- Whiteside-18
- Ogle-22
- Boone-28
- Lee-40
- Stepheson-50
- Carroll-52
- Winnebago-82
You can see the entire report by clicking on the link below:
