Washtenaw County ranks among healthiest counties in Michigan in national study, but experts say there's room to improve
Practitioners strike a pose at the Ann Arbor School of Yoga. A nationwide health study ranks Washtenaw County among the top counties in Michigan for health.
Ann Arbor News file
A new nationwide study says Washtenaw County is among the healthiest places to live in Michigan.
But officials from the Washtenaw County Public Health Department warn that big disparities exist when it comes to health, according to separate county data that looks at the health of individuals broken down by ZIP code.
“The take home message is, it matters where you live, and Washtenaw County is a good place to live to be healthy, but here are still areas within the county we need to work on,” said Richard Fleece, health officer for Washtenaw County Public Health.
The nationwide study released Thursday, called the County Health Rankings, ranked Washtenaw County as the No. 4 healthiest place to live among 82 Michigan counties when it comes to the category of health outcomes — meaning, how long people live in comparison to average life expectancy, as well as their quality of life. One Michigan county wasn't ranked in the study due to a lack of available data, researchers said.
When it comes to the category of health factors, which includes such factors as physical environment, health behaviors, and social and economic circumstances, Washtenaw County rated No. 1 in the state.
Wayne County ranked last in health factors and 81st in health outcomes. Livingston County ranked 3rd in health outcomes and 2nd in health factors. See the full list here. The study analyzes data compiled by several national sources, including the National Center for Health Statistics and the FBI.
But there is room for improvement on health locally, experts say.
Washtenaw County residents fared slightly better than the rest of the state on obesity rates: 27 percent of the population is obese compared to 31 percent statewide, according to Health Rankings data.
In other areas, the county fared better. Thirteen percent of the local population smokes, compared to 22 percent statewide, according to study data.
Washtenaw County residents are more likely to have a high school diploma and some college than the rest of the state. At 8.6 percent, unemployment in the county is lower than Michigan’s 13.6 percent rate of unemployment.
There are more doctors here serving the population — one for every 351 residents, compared to a statewide ration of 1:874. Access to healthy food is better in Washtenaw County than the state. Factors like these influence the quality and length of life, according to the study.
The annual Health Rankings study began in 2010. It’s conducted by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and funded by a private foundation.
Bridget Booske, the deputy director of County Health Rankings and a senior research scientist at the University of Wisconsin, said the purpose of the study is to give counties a snapshot of their health in order to help people set priorities for improving health.
A closer look at the county’s own data, gleaned from the Health Department’s 2005 Health Improvement Plan phone survey shows certain populations and geographic areas within the county are not as healthy as others, Fleece said. The data has been collected from 2,000 households every five years since 1995. The most recent survey results are from 2005. Results from 2010 have not yet been released.
For instance, the average resident in Sylvan, York and Ypsilanti townships will die at 64 years old. In Saline, Ann Arbor and Bridgewater townships, that average is 76 years.
And in Washtenaw County, black infants are three times more likely to die than white infants before they reach their 1st birthday.
Booske said Washtenaw County has an effective and well-positioned health department, and not all counties around the nation are that lucky. She said she would encourage any county with homegrown survey data to use it help guide decisions when it comes to public health.
Still, she said, she hopes the national data will “bring other people into the discussion.” Health of the population can be improved with community stakeholders in areas outside health departments, like business and government, she said.
For example, in Muskegon County, Mich., teams signed up to walk more and drink more water, among other actions designed to boost health.
A West Virginia church decided to launch a weight loss group following the release of the 2010 Health Rankings data, Booske said. Eighteen individuals lost a total of 250 pounds in 11 weeks.
You can read more stories from communities around the country, and learn more about the County Health Rankings' data on its website.
Juliana Keeping covers general assignment and health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
1976plymouth
Wed, Apr 6, 2011 : 6:32 p.m.
@ Dog Guy: If you knew anything about public health, you would know that a county health officer is far from a "politico"! And good for you for being able to afford to eat healthy foods and to have the opportunity to "exercise vigorously", as you put it. Unfortunately, not everyone in our community is that lucky. That's the whole point of this article, and, I daresay, Mr. Fleece's comment - not to say "Yay we're #1", but to recognize that, yes, we live in a great area with lots of good things going for us, but we still have a lot of work to do so that others can have the same opportunity. Are you willing to help in this endeavor, or at least recognize that these disparities exist? Or are you too busy with your intelligent eating and vigorous exercise?
Dog Guy
Tue, Apr 5, 2011 : 12:41 a.m.
"The take home message is, it matters where you live, and Washtenaw County is a good place to live to be healthy, but here are still areas within the county we need to work on," said Richard Fleece, health officer for Washtenaw County Public Health. We health nuts eat intelligently and exercise vigorously, but some politico takes credit for our health.
Sergio
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 5:58 p.m.
Income was a criteria. Other criteria and their weights follow: 40% of the "health factors" ranking (Washtenaw ranked 1st) was driven by "social and economic indicators" including education, employment, income, social support, and community safety. The county ranked 3rd on this category. 20% of the "health factors"ranking was determined by access to and quality of health care, and the county ranked 7th on this category. 10% of the "health factors" ranking was driven by "physical environment" indicators such as air quality, access to healthy foods, and access to recreational facilities. The county scored 59th on this category, primarily due to air quality ratings. 30% of the "health factors" rank was attributed to health behaviors such as tobacco use, healthy eating, physical activity, and alcohol use. Washtenaw ranked 4th on "health outcomes" which includes mortality (length of life) and morbidity (low birth weight and 'health-related quality of life"). Mortality and morbidity were weighted equally (50%). The county ranked 5th in mortality and 9th in quality of life.
djm12652
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 5:32 p.m.
13% of the population smoke cigarettes, but what is the percentage of pot smokers in Washtenaw County? Oh wait, it's not bad for your because it's organic?
REBBAPRAGADA
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 5:20 p.m.
The question that I would like to ask is, What is health? I have been reading several health related stories and we just celebrated a national Public Health awareness Week. Unless a term is properly defined, a study would not be entirely relevant. This study has looked at some factors that may impact the well-being of a person. It is more relevant to know as to what constitutes the well-being of a person. We need to look at criteria that would give an understanding of factors that impact the physical, mental, social, moral, and spiritual well-being of man in his environment and in his community.
frozenhotchocolate
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 4:40 p.m.
People may be healthy but are they happy?
CynicA2
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 3:49 p.m.
That's all fine and well... but healthy or not, we all push the same daisies in Marble Acres, sooner or later.
kmark
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 3:46 p.m.
I think the difference in life expectancies between townships has a lot to do with socio-economic status. There is a well known association between socioeconomic status and health and Ann Arbor for instance is one of the wealthier areas. We often jump to the conclusion that more well-off individuals are healthier because they have better access to health care services, but research shows that access to healthcare is a much weaker predictor of good health than other factors such as education, where you live geographically, and race.
cinnabar7071
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 3:29 p.m.
Now my comment is back. What gives?
Kelly Davenport
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 3:34 p.m.
Sorry for the confusion. You comment should not have been blocked. It was a mistake.
cinnabar7071
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 3:28 p.m.
How could my comment violate the conversation guidelines? All I asked was maybe education might have more of a effect than access to health care on longeity.
cinnabar7071
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 1:58 p.m.
xmo I'd also like to see more data relating to wealth and longevity. I would be willing to bet the longevity has more to do with education and willingness to take better care of yourself than access to health care. Just eating right and exercise will add more years.
xmo
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 1:15 p.m.
I did not see it in the article but did income or net worth figure into the rating? Generally, the more income/wealth the longer you will live since you have more access to health care and less crime.
David Cahill
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 12:49 p.m.
Wow! That's a hugedifference in life expectancies within Washtenaw County!
Dcam
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 12:36 p.m.
What I take away from the list is to be healthy live in Washtenaw Country (#1 - healthy living), but if by some chance you become ill - go to Ottawa Country (#1 health outcomes), they have better outcomes (Washtenaw #4 health outcomes). At least that's what the rankings say, whatever that means.
Steve Pepple
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 11:20 a.m.
This story has been edited to correct an error in the ratio of doctors per population.
Jeff Westbrooks
Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 11:10 a.m.
I think there's a mistake in this article. I find it a little difficult to believe that there's 351 doctors per person in Washtenaw County. Just sayin'.