The 2019 County Health Rankings were released mid-March, with Barry County ranking very well on overall health, ranking 11th out of 83 Michigan counties for Health Outcomes and 15th for Health Factors, putting the county in the top 20 percent of counties, according to a Barry Eaton District Health Department news release.
The rankings focuses on factors that, if improved, can help make communities healthier places to live, learn, work and play. The Health Outcomes are based on the sickness and death in a county; Health Factors are based on measures that can affect future health.
Barry County’s health ranking has improved from 21st in the state in 2015 to 11th in 2019. The health factor ranking was within the range of 13th to 18th in the state for the past five years.
The rankings show where the county is doing well and provides information about what is working: The county ranked 11th in social and economic factors that measure education, income and poverty, household and social structures, crime and injuries. The report can help build on successes and encourage community leaders to create programs and policy changes in areas in need of improvement.
*Barry County Great Start Collaborative works to increase social support to parents, reduce child poverty and increase school readiness to improve educational outcomes. Visit http://www.greatstartbarry.org/ for more.
*Barry County is at medium risk for poor health to do with behaviors like smoking, obesity and physical inactivity, where it ranked 29th in the state. The county needs to do more in stepping up efforts to help residents quit tobacco, prevent obesity, improve access to dentists, mental health and primary care providers and increase opportunities for physical activity.
The county ranked poorly for the physical environment, 57th in the state; the score includes measures of air pollution, drinking water violations, severe housing problems and driving commutes.
Some steps taken to improve the health of residents:
*The B. Healthy Coalition is working to prevent and control obesity and chronic disease through policy and environmental change and to increase awareness of healthy lifestyles.
Visit http://www.behealthybarrycounty.com/ for more.
*The Barry County Tobacco Reduction Coalition works to reduce exposure to tobacco, tobacco smoke, cigarettes, and nicotine.
Call Lauren Metcalfe at (517) 541-2624 for more.
*The Barry County Substance Abuse Task Force focuses on reducing the negative effects of alcohol and prescription drug misuse. Visit www.barrycountysatf.com/ for more.
Everyone in the community has a stake in being healthy. Working together, Barry County residents can make their community a healthier place to live, learn, work, and play.
For more on 2019 County Health Rankings, visit www.countyhealthrankings.org.
