Boone County ranks 6th, 19th in state in health rankings

The eigth annual County Health Rankings and Roadmaps survey, Boone County ranked 19 and 6 in health outcomes and health factors, respectively.

Health outcomes represent how healthy counties are within the state, according to the organization. This ranking measures how long people live and how healthy people feel while alive.

Health factors represent what influences the health of a county. These rankings are also an estimate of the future health of counties compared to others in the state. The ranks are based on four types of measures: health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment factors.

For health outcomes, Boone County ranked 19 out 115.

Premature death rates have gone down over the last few years. According to the survey, premature mortality includes all deaths of people under 75 years old. In Boone County, malignant neoplasms is the leading cause of premature death with about 86 percent; suicide is the lowest with 14 percent.

The survey says 18 percent of people report they are in poor or fair health. Across Missouri, the average is 17 percent.

In health factors, Boone County scored a rank of 6 out of 115.

Adult smoking is at 21 percent; Missouri overall is 22 percent.

Physical inactivity in Boone County has declined, meaning more people are becoming more active. This year’s survey says Boone County’s physical inactivity is 17 percent. In 2012, physical inactivity was at 20 percent. The average in Missouri is 22 percent.

Excessive drinking, 21 percent, is slightly above the state average at 18 percent.

Sexually transmitted infections have gone up in recent years in Boone County. In 2008, the number was 540 per 100,000 residents; this year’s survey says the number is up to 650 per 100,000.

The number of uninsured people in Boone County has declined to 12 percent, 2 percent below the state average.

Social and economic factors surveyed include high school graduation rates (92 percent), unemployment (3.5 percent), and children in poverty (15 percent).