Which NYC Borough Is The Healthiest?
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — New York City is getting healthier.
Those are the findings in a recent report from County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, which uses a variety of criteria—from length and quality of life to health behaviors to social and economic factors—and issues an annual health report on every county in the U.S.
According to researchers, Manhattan (New York County) now ranks not only as the healthiest of the five boroughs, but it's also the 8th healthiest county in the state, up from 24th place a year ago. Three other boroughs also made health strides, with Queens now ranked the 12th healthiest of New York's 62 counties, Staten Island (Richmond County) ranked 24th and Brooklyn (Kings County) coming in at 43rd. However, the prognosis wasn't so good for the Bronx, as the county finished last in the state in overall health outcomes.
The Bronx's low ranking in the health survey reflects how socioeconomic factors can contribute to individual health. The county ranked last in the state in categories like quality of life and social and economic factors, which contributed greatly to its low score overall.
"Fully 40 percent of what contributes to premature death is social and economic factors," Jan O'Neill, a researcher with the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute which tabulates County Health Rankings data, told the New York Post.
Rockland County ranked as the healthiest county in the state as a whole, followed by Putnam, Saratoga, Tompkins and Nassau counties. The 2014 annual report on America's Health Rankings listed New York as the 14th healthiest state overall, marking the greatest improvement of any state since 1990, when New York came in at 40th.
Although the Bronx finished in last place in the health rankings, community leaders are making a concerted effort to improve. In fact, the county is among the nationwide finalists for the RWJF Culture of Health Prize, which "honors and elevates U.S. communities that are making great strides in their journey toward better health." The winner will be announced in the fall.
In addition to better medical care and new exercise opportunities, one way New York City is trying to improve its health is through access to better food. According to its website, the Shop Healthy NYC program "works with communities – including residents, food retailers, and food suppliers and distributors – to increase access to healthy foods." The Brooklyn Reader reports that in 2014, the program "increased access to healthier food options in 99 local neighborhood, effectively expanding its reach in over 80 percent of bodegas and supermarkets across Cypress Hills and East New York."
It's just one of the many steps New Yorkers are taking to improve the health of their families and communities overall. And with the efforts put forth in the Bronx, the city could move up even more in the rankings next year.
