Community Corner
How Healthy Are Largo Residents?
Pinellas County ranks 38 out of 67 Florida counties in overall health outcomes.
Last week health rankings were released for all 67 Florida counties. Pinellas County ranked 17th in health factors and 38th in health outcomes.
"Together with the health department, and with many other partner agencies in Pinellas, we are committed to making our community a healthier place to live. Our parks, beaches and the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail are all part of what makes our county a great place to live, work and play for citizens of all ages," said Pinellas County Commissioner Karen Seel in a county news release.
Numbers were slightly better in 2012 when the county was in 15th place in
health factors and 31st place in health outcomes.
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According to the county:
These rankings serve as a snapshot of the health of individuals across counties in each state. The report highlights that health is a combined work in progress across a variety of community partners. The Florida Department of Health (DOH), through its county health departments, works together to improve the health of all Floridians.
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The data used in these rankings are available in each state and include information related to physical environment, social and economic factors, health behaviors, education, crime rate/law enforcement and clinical care.
Clinical care and physical environment both earned high marks from the fourth annual County Health Rankings & Roadmaps tool. Pinellas ranked 6th in each category.
According to the county, "challenges remain for the larger community in the areas of unemployed residents and in young people who do not graduate from high school, both factors in the county's opportunities for improvement in the social and economic factors that make up 40 percent of the health factors affecting morbidity and mortality."
"The large role that social and economic factors play in each county's ranking means that public health must partner with other agencies in the community to improve these numbers," said Claude M. Dharamraj, Pinellas County Health Department Director in a news release. "Education, employment, income, family and social support and community safety are beyond the scope of public health and yet they have a profound effect on the health of the community."
Pinellas County Health Rankings (Chart from countyhealthrankings.org)
PinellasCountyError
MarginFloridaNational
BenchmarkTrendRank
(of 67)
Health Outcomes
38Mortality
39 Premature death 8,617 8,379-8,855 7,310 5,317Morbidity
36 Poor or fair health 16% 13-18% 16% 10% Poor physical health days 4.1 3.5-4.7 3.6 2.6 Poor mental health days 4.2 3.6-4.9 3.7 2.3 Low birthweight 8.5% 8.2-8.7% 8.7% 6.0%Health Factors
17Health Behaviors
17 Adult smoking 21% 19-23% 19% 13% Adult obesity 24% 21-27% 26% 25% Physical inactivity 21% 18-23% 24% 21% Excessive drinking 18% 15-20% 16% 7% Motor vehicle crash death rate 14 13-15 16 10 Sexually transmitted infections 419 398 92 Teen birth rate 38 37-39 40 21Clinical Care
6 Uninsured 22% 21-23% 25% 11% Primary care physicians** 1,145:1 1,439:1 1,067:1 Dentists** 1,683:1 2,095:1 1,516:1 Preventable hospital stays 62 60-63 65 47 Diabetic screening 85% 83-87% 84% 90% Mammography screening 70% 68-72% 70% 73%Social & Economic Factors
31 High school graduation** 65% 71% Some college 62% 60-63% 59% 70% Unemployment 10.5% 10.5% 5.0% Children in poverty 24% 20-27% 25% 14% Inadequate social support 21% 18-23% 22% 14% Children in single-parent households 39% 38-41% 37% 20% Violent crime rate 740 614 66Physical Environment
6 Daily fine particulate matter 8.3 8.1-8.4 8.4 8.8 Drinking water safety 0% 3% 0% Access to recreational facilities 13 9 16 Limited access to healthy foods** 5% 7% 1% Fast food restaurants 41% 44% 27%Sign up for the Largo Patch email newsletter to get our top headlines delivered straight to your inbox so you won't miss a thing!
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