Starke County continues to be ranked near the bottom when it comes to county health.
A report released earlier this year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin details several aspects of public health and ranks every county in the nation based on those factors.
Out of Indiana’s 92 counties, Starke County sits at 90th in health outcomes. The report measures access to clinical care, socio-economic factors, and the county’s physical environment.
Starke County performs the worst in the category of health factors such as adult obesity, smoking, and drinking habits. Environmental factors are considered relatively good for the county, including air quality and drinking water violations.
It was two years ago that the Starke County Commissioners Declared 2013 a “Year of Health.” Several health and educational events followed the proclamation in an effort to change overall health in the area.
Starke County has actually dropped between the 2013 report and the 2015 report in the state in health outcomes since that announcement.
