Poor Health Disproportionately Impacts Black Ohioans: Report

CLEVELAND, OH — Where you live has an impact on how well and how long you live. And black Ohioans are at an increased risk of suffering from poor health. That's the thrust of new research released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI). The groups studied the health of residents in each of Ohio's counties and found that Adams County is the least healthy of Ohio's 88 counties.

The analysis found that residents' health isn't just impacted by medical care. Instead, factors like housing, education and jobs play important roles in determining good, or poor, health. This year's rankings show that "meaningful gaps in health persist not only by place, but also by race and ethnicity. Looking at differences by place and race offers a more complete picture of health."

The study found that if racial and ethnic differences in child poverty were eliminated, more than 130,000 black children in Ohio would not be living in poverty, the group said. That's because lack of opportunity disproportionately affects people of color in Ohio and across the nation. About 20 percent of Ohio children are living in poverty, according to the report. The poverty rate is worse for black and Hispanic children, with rates over 40 percent.

Poverty increases the chances of poor health, according to the study.

"What this tells us is that in order to improve the health of all Ohioans, we must address the troubling differences we are seeing in health and the drivers of health and well-being across the state,” said Reem Aly, vice president, Healthcare System and Innovation Policy at HPIO.

The Rankings

Still, some of Ohio's poorest counties are located in rural areas. For example, the five least healthy counties in Ohio are Adams County, Pike County, Jackson County, Vinton County and Gallia County. Each of the bottom five counties are rural, with small population bases.

Compare that to the five healthiest counties in the state, which are largely suburban: Delaware County, followed by Geauga County, Putnam County, Medina County, and Warren County.

Metro counties, like Cuyahoga, don't always perform much better. Cuyahoga County is the 60th ranked county of Ohio's 88 for health outcomes. It's one of the three most populous counties in the state, with a population well over a million.

Yet, Cuyahoga residents have a higher chance of premature death than the top-performing counties in the nation. The rate of premature deaths appears to be on the rise in the region. Residents also have five percent more poor health days than the top performing U.S. counties.

“The time is now to address long-standing challenges like child poverty,” said Julie Willems Van Dijk, PhD, RN, director of County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. “This year’s Rankings are a call to action to see how these persistent health gaps play out locally, take an honest look at their root causes, and work together to give everyone a fair shot at a healthier life.”

The full ranking of Ohio's counties can be found at countyhealthrankings.com.

To compile its extensive research into the counties, RWJF and UWPHI examined CDC, USDA, U.S. Census, FBI Crime Reporting, National Center for Health Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other data. A full list of resources used to create the report can be found by clicking here.

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch