The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute released the 2013 County Health Rankings, a study that ranks the health of California counties and counties across the United States. Santa Barbara County has improved rankings from the previous year in two major categories: Health Outcomes and Health Factors.
Health Outcomes improved from a 19th to 14th ranking, and Health Factors moved from 15th to 14th in ranking. Ratings for Santa Barbara County improved in a number of areas.
The ranking in the Health Outcomes category is based on premature deaths, perceived health status and low birth weight. The ranking in the Health Factors category is based on measures of various health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment factors.
Santa Barbara County now ranks in the top quartile among California counties in many areas. Santa Barbara County exceeds both California average and the National benchmark in premature death, adult smoking, adult obesity, physical inactivity and preventable hospital stays.
The County Health Rankings provide a snapshot of how healthy Santa Barbara residents are by comparing their overall health and factors that influence their health, with other counties in California and in the United States. The rankings are based on a model of population health that emphasizes the many factors that, if improved, can help make communities healthier places to work, play and live.
The 2012 County Health Rankings report is being released just in time for Public Health Week, April 1-7. During this week, the nation celebrates the many public health advances that have made it possible to live longer and healthier lives.
Click here to view the full report.
— Susan Klein-Rothschild is a public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
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