American society is growing increasingly complex and decreasingly healthy.
We have a sophisticated health-care delivery system – arguably the best and most accessible in the world. But we use too many drugs, drink too much, smoke too much, eat too much and exercise too little.
Children possess mobile devices capable of functions that the world’s richest person couldn’t have envisioned or obtained a generation ago. But some people use those devices in ways that cause great harm to themselves or to others.
Despite universal access to effective means of birth control, we’re seeing increases in teen births and single-parent households. While public education is mandatory through Grade 12, and a variety of types of higher education and financial aid are readily available, too many people are ill-prepared for 21st century jobs.
Government investments in basic life support, health care, housing and education keep rising. Yet nearbyare people who livein conditions comparable to those in poor developing nations.
If you read this column with any regularity, you may be surprised at the tone of this. Positive topics, pertaining to life here within the Alleghenies, are offered here.
Unfortunately, this topic doesn’t brighten much when viewed through an Alleghenies’ lens. According to the 2017 County Health Rankings, six of the region’s counties rank among the unhealthiest in the state:
Armstrong ranks 50th out of 67 counties in Pennsylvania; Blair is 47th; Cambria, 63rd; Fayette, 65th; Indiana, 49th; and Somerset, 36th (just barely in the bottom half). Bedford, Huntingdon and Westmoreland are in the top half, ranked 21st, 27th and 16th respectively, which is more positive news.
Talk about complexity. The County Health Rankings are massive compilations of statistics, culled from a long list of sources,that measure a variety of “outcomes” such as length and quality of life, health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment.
Each outcome, in turn, is determined by hosts of sub-factors such as tobacco use, access to healthcare, employment, air and water quality – just to mention a few. To learn more visit CountyHealthRankings.org.
Considering all of the factors that can affect our health, County Health Rankings are an impressive effort of behavioral science. But in one area that should be a strength for Alleghenies’ counties, I question the CHR’s measurement tools.
One sub-factor within “Health Behavior” is “Access to Exercise Opportunities.” All of our counties ranked higher than the national average of 62 percent. But only Armstrong, Blair and Westmoreland counties ranked significantly higher, and, that makes little sense to me.
Virtually all of us have access to exercise opportunities here, including community walking trails, senior centers, fitness centers and malls with walking groups. We have abundant places to swim, hike, bicycle, boat, fish, hunt, participate in sports, camp and picnic.
Does everyone take advantage of these opportunities? No, certainly not – although our percentages of physically inactive people tracked very close to the national average of 26 percent.
Of course exercise access is just one small sub-factor among many that comprise the County Health Rankings. But exercise is something almost all of us can embrace as a way to live a healthier life.
We may not be able to do much about murder rates, air pollution, sexually transmitted infections, unemployment, low birthweights, the proper ratio of primary care physicians, high-school graduation rates or income inequality – all of which affect the overall health of a community.
But we can walk, bike, swim or participate in group exercise. And we can encourage others to join us. In so doing, we may begin to positively influence some of the other factors feeding community health by reducing the number of poor physical or mental health days, obesity, preventable hospital stays, perhaps even premature death.
Clearly, community health is a complex and somewhat dark situation. But our individual health can be a simpler and brighter challenge to tackle, especially here within the Alleghenies.