A new nationwide study released today/Tuesday ranks Coos County as the least healthy county in the state. NHPR’s Chris Jensen reports.
The study conducted by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. It judges the health of individual counties based on the residents’ health as well as factors such as smoking and exercise that affect health.
In New Hampshire Coos County was the worst.
Angela Russell worked on the study.
“Coos has a higher adult smoking rate compared to the rest of New Hampshire, a higher rate of adult obesity, a higher rate of physical inactivity.”
Coos residents also die earlier and there are more low-birth weight babies.
On the bright side Coos has less violent crime; less air pollution and more primary care physicians for its population than the rest of the state.
Officials at the North Country Health Consortium say they are organizing a task force to address the problems.
For NHPR News this is Chris Jensen
