Paulding County Health Department (PCHD) is pleased to announce that Paulding County is ranked among the healthiest counties for health outcomes and health factors in the 2022 County Health Rankings. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, released its annual County Health Rankings, a comprehensive annual report that ranks the overall health of nearly every county across all 50 states by way of a standardized methodology to measure health factors and health outcomes. For over a dozen years, report data have shown how a wide range of factors influence how long and how well we live. The report has added seven new measures related to income, education, family and social support, and health outcomes. An organized list of strategies to close the wealth gap and support a fair recovery from the pandemic is also featured in the new report.
Health outcomes include length and quality of life measures, and health factors include health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment. Overall, Paulding County had a ranking of 20th in Ohio health outcomes, and 46th for health factors.
Paulding residents should be very pleased that Paulding County continues to be one of the healthiest counties in Ohio. There is some disappointment to see a lower ranking in health factors, the data reiterate the importance of prevention-focused public health programming. Future County Health Rankings will tell a better story of how COVID-19 has impacted our county’s health overall, as much of the data for these measures predates the pandemic. County partners continue to update our Community Health Needs Assessment, and look forward to using that data, in addition to these latest County Health Rankings, to identify needs and develop meaningful strategies to positively impact the health of all Paulding County residents.
You can explore the rankings further at https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/
