WV HAS WIDE GAP IN HEALTH RATINGS

(04/06/2010)

Calhoun almost tied with Roane County for the 34th spot in the over-all health ratings of West Virginia's 55 counties. Clay ranked 44th. Southern coal counties ranked the worst, with McDowell and Mingo at the bottom. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released the nationwide study, that considers a number of health behaviors, including tobacco use, diet, obesity, unsafe sex, life expectancy and alcohol use. Calhoun ranks relatively high with access to health care, likely because of Minnie Hamilton Health System and other neighboring county health services. McDowell County has a rate of premature death nearly twice the state average, with almost 40 percent of residents describing their health as "fair or poor," compared to 22 percent statewide. The healthiest counties include Monongalia, Pendleton, Ohio, Jefferson and Grant.

Hur Herald ®from Sunny Cal The information on these pages, to the extent the law allows, remains the exclusive property of Bob Weaver and Dianne Weaver The Hur Herald. All information may be freely used but must not be sold or used in any type of commercial endeavor, or used on any web site without the express permission of the owners ©Bob and Dianne Weaver, The Hur Herald, 1999, 2000, 2001