Benton County ranks first in health, again

Benton County residents can claim to be the state's healthiest once again, but health officials warned caution about their optimism.

"It's good to have that high ranking, but it has to be tempered with that there's still much more to be gained," said Loy Bailey, administrator of the county Health Department. "There's so many areas that need to be focused on to enhance family and community health."

Benton County ranks No. 1 in health outcomes and health factors according to the annual County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report released Wednesday. The county topped the outcomes ranking each of the report's eight years and all but one year for health factors.

Washington County ranks third and sixth, respectively. The county fell one spot in health factors where it ranked fifth last year. The report indicates slight increases to adult obesity, physical inactivity and violent crime.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute releases the report each spring to help area leaders develop plans to create healthier places to live. It ranks counties in each state in two categories: Health outcomes and health factors. Outcomes are based on length and quality of life. Factors include a number of areas such as behaviors, clinical care, social and economic conditions and physical environment.

"We don't want these reports to cause complacency," said Namvar Zohoori, Arkansas Department of Health deputy chief science officer.

Though Benton County is the healthiest in Arkansas, it falls in the bottom 25 percent for many indicators when compared to similar counties around the country, Zohoori said, referring to the Centers for Disease Control County Health Status Indicator Report. The CDC report places Benton County in the bottom quadrant in several categories including coronary heart disease and stroke deaths, older adult depression, adult physical inactivity and access to parks.

"We need to address the entire state because we have problems that are statewide," he said.

The state's healthiest counties are in the northwest and central areas. Those ranking the lowest are in the Delta and the southern portion of the state, according to the report.

United Health Foundation's annual health rankings had Arkansas at 48th for "the states with greatest opportunities for [health] improvement" in the nation last year. Arkansas also ranked 48th in 2015.

The Rankings & Roadmaps Report shows health disparities that span the state. For instance, there's an eight-year difference in life expectancy between Benton and Phillips counties, which ranked the lowest of the state's 75 counties in both health outcomes and health factors.

Change takes time, so an eight-year difference is huge, Zohoori said, noting rural communities struggle more. He added the state health department has initiatives such as Healthy Active Arkansas, which includes nine priorities focused around nutrition and physical activity to reduce obesity in the state.

Mental health and obesity are two issues that are gaining more attention both locally and nationally, Bailey said, noting the percentage of Benton County adults who are obese increased from 28 to 30 percent from last year to this year, yet it's still the lowest in the state.

Information in the report allows county health departments to see where they're at regarding different health factors and adjust their focus to address needs within their communities in partnership with other community groups, Bailey said.

"It's well done," he said. "It can be a good tool. A good reference point."

NW News on 03/30/2017