Though Athens County has many advocates for environmental safety and a healthy eating culture, the county proved to be one of the worst in these areas and others in a public-health study.
Athens fell three ranks to 61st out of 88th counties in Ohio for overall public health in 2013.
Whether or not college students greatly affect the results depends on the survey sample of the study, said Athens County Commissioner Lenny Eliason.
According to The County Health Rankings study conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Athens ranks 84th in overall physical environment of the county, which includes number of fast food restaurants, drinking-water safety and recreational facility availability.
The study said that 68 percent of restaurants in the county are fast food restaurants with limited access to healthful food options. The national benchmark is 27 percent.
Obesity and diabetes are definitely problems within the county, Eliason said. Athens has a coalition called Live Healthy Appalachia, which “educates people on how to make healthy food choices.”
In 2009-2010, the prevalence of obesity among third-graders in Athens County fell between 40 and 49 percent while the national average was 34.7 percent, according to a study by the Ohio Department of Health.
Live Healthy Appalachia offers the Food is Elementary program at local elementary schools, which provides students with a “hands-on cooking curriculum” and healthful, easy recipes for children, said Michelle Corrigan, coordinator of the program.
The program provides a way for students to bring home healthy eating habits from the classroom, which is helpful if they don’t eat as healthily at home, Corrigan said.
Ohio also ranks 72nd in overall clinical care. Eighteen percent of Athens County residents are uninsured; 84 percent of people are in need of diabetic screenings on average, according to the study.
The statistics have error margins of 7 percent, respectively.
Ohio also ranks 42nd in overall social and economic factors, such as unemployment. The county fights an 8.9 percent unemployment rate, according to the study. The study also stated that 31 percent of children in Athens County live in poverty, and 33 percent of children are raised in single-parent households.
The statistics have error margins of 6 percent, respectively.
In terms of social and economic factors, health can be alleviated if the individual maintains a job that pays a living wage, and counseling is one solution for struggling families, Eliason said. Some options may take a bit longer of a process, but they can help.
kf398711@ohiou.edu
