Study: Hudson County 14th out of 20 in New Jersey for Overall Health

Is Hudson County an unhealthy place to live?

The county recently ranked 14th out of 21 in the state for “overall health outcomes” in a report titled “County Health Rankings: 2015.”

Although Hudson County ranked higher in categories such as Length of Life (8th), it ranked lower in categories such as Clinical Care (worst in NJ), Quality of Life (17th), Overall Health Factors (16th).

The study was conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a nonprofit that works to identify health issues across the nation and promote a culture of health. On their website, researchers reported that they analyzed several factors to reach their conclusions including: premature death, low birthweights, smoking, obesity, physical activity, alcohol and drug abuse, sexually transmitted disease, availability and quality of health care, income inequality, crime levels, environmental pollution, drinking water violations, housing availability and mental health.

The current “healthiest” county in NJ according to the study is Hunterdon; the “unhealthiest” is Cumberland.

See the county-by-county rankings, data charts and methodology here.

According to the study:

· 23 percent of adults in Essex County report that they are in “poor” or “fair” health

· 8.6 percent of infants have a “low birth weight”

· 16 percent of adults are smokers

· 24 percent of adults are “obese” (reporting a BMI of 30 or more)

· Although 100 percent of residents have access to locations for physical activity, 26 percent of adults reported that they have no leisure-time physical activity

· 17 percent of adults reported that they are excessive alcohol consumers

· 22 percent of residents do not have health insurance

· 32 percent of children under age 18 live in poverty

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