Indiana County ranks 49th out of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania in the eighth annual County Health Rankings compiled by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute. The study analyzes the health outcomes and factors for every county in the United States.
The detailed report ranks Indiana County dead last in clinical care, a reflection of a 60th place ranking of our health behaviors and not having enough doctors and dentists, in comparison to the rest of the state. The state averages one primary care physician for every 1,230 people. Indiana County has one doctor for every 1,910. Dental care trails by an even greater margin: the state average is one dentist per 1,530 residents. Indiana County has one per 2,640.
The most troublesome health behaviors include adult obesity, access to exercise opportunities, physical inactivity, and sexually transmitted infections.
Indiana County trails the state in length of life. With a state average of 6.8 percent per county based on the national standard of premature deaths per 100,000 deaths. Indiana County’s premature deaths totaled 7.5 percent.
Chester, Centre, and Union are the three healthiest counties in Pennsylvania. Fayette, Sullivan, and Philadelphia are the three most unhealthy counties. Among our neighbors, Westmoreland County ranks 16th, Clearfield 31st, Armstrong 50th, Jefferson County 59th, and Cambria County ranks 63rd.
There rankings are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org
