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Huntington is 26th in Hoosier health rankings

Huntington County is the 26th healthiest of Indiana's 92 counties, according to rankings compiled by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

The fifth annual County Health Rankings measures how healthy people are and how long they live.
The overall health ranking is a compilation of rankings in seven separate areas including length of life - a category where Huntington County ranked 12th in the state.

Authors of the study say two of the biggest drivers for poor health outcomes are obesity and tobacco use. Huntington County fares poorly in those two areas, contributing to its No. 59 ranking in health behaviors.

The study's authors found that 26 percent of the county's adult residents smoke, compared to a statewide smoking rate of 23 percent. In addition, the study found, 35 percent of Huntington County residents are obese, compared to 31 percent of all Hoosiers.

The best protective factors include ensuring children are raised in a safe, healthy environment and graduate from high school, the study's authors say. Social and economic factors measured in Huntington County gave the county a No. 29 ranking in that area.

The study found that 85 percent of Huntington County residents have graduated from high school, compared with 87 percent statewide. It also found 16 percent of Huntington County children living in poverty, compared to 22 percent statewide.

Huntington County ranked high - No. 13 - in the physical environment category, which measures air pollution, drinking water violations and severe housing problems, along with the numbers of people who drive alone to work.

According to this year's survey, the 10 healthiest Indiana counties based on health outcomes are Hamilton, Hendricks, Boone, LaGrange, Brown, Dubois, Wells, Monroe, Whitley and Tippecanoe.

The 10 counties with the lowest ranking for health outcomes are Delaware, Lawrence, Sullivan, Orange, Jasper, Starke, Crawford, Blackford, Fayette and Scott.

For more about information or to view the report, visit www.countyhealthrankings.org.