Marin County was ranked as California's healthiest county for the second consecutive year, according to a study released by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 3/30).
The second annual County Health Rankings report evaluated wellness in nearly 3,000 U.S. counties. The report compares counties within each state based on vital statistics information and government surveys (Tanner, AP/Contra Costa Times, 3/29).
Researchers looked at various indicators, such as:
- Clinical care;
- Health behaviors;
- Mortality rates; and
- Social and economic factors.
Key Findings
The study found that residents of Marin County generally have lower rates of smoking, adult obesity and teen birth. However, the report noted that the county could improve its rate of binge drinking.
The report also found that coastal counties from Sonoma to San Diego generally fared better than inland areas and the rural northern counties of California.
Trinity County ranked as the state's unhealthiest county. Some of the other unhealthy counties cited in the report include:
- Del Norte;
- Kern;
- Madera; and
- San Bernardino (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 3/30).