The Tuscarawas County Department releases the Health Rankings and Roadmaps.
“The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The annual County Health Rankings measure vital health factors, including high school graduation rates, obesity, smoking, unemployment, access to healthy foods, the quality of air and water, income inequality, and teen births in nearly every county in America. The annual Rankings provide a revealing snapshot of how health is influenced by where we live, learn, work and play. They provide a starting point for change in communities.” – Countyhealthrankings.org.
Tuscarawas County ranked 28 out of 88 Counties in Ohio for overall health outcomes. A six-year snapshot of trends for overall health outcome and health factors rankings for Tuscarawas County can be seen below. It is worth noting that the lower the ranking the better.
Health outcomes measure how long people live and how healthy people feel. 2018 is the first time in 3 years that Tuscarawas County has increased rankings for health outcomes.
Health factors represent the focus areas that drive how long and how well we live. These include health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment. 2018 is the first time in 3 years that Tuscarawas County has decreased rankings for health factors
In 2018, Tuscarawas County ranked the poorest in clinical care at 69 out of 88 Counties in Ohio. This ranking remains unchanged from 2017. Tuscarawas County saw improved rankings in quality of life, however, decreased rankings were seen in health factors, health behaviors, social and economic factors and physical environment.
Clinical Care in Tuscarawas County – 2017 69/88 (no change from 2017)
9% of the population in Tuscarawas County remained uninsured, this is an improvement of 12% from 2017. See the chart below for provider information per every resident.
| Year | Primary Care Physicians | Dentists | Mental Health Providers |
| 2018 | 2,450:1 | 2,800:1 | 840:1 |
| 2017 | 2,510:1 | 3,000:1 | 930:1 |
| 2016 | 2,320:1 | 2,990:1 | 1,030:1 |
| 2015 | 2,200:1 | 2,989:1 | 1,343:1 |
The average person in Tuscarawas County spends $10,090 (an increase of $450.00 from 2017) in health care cost per year.
Health Behaviors in Tuscarawas County – 2018 – 52/88 (decreased by 31 from 2017)
The health behavior ranking decreased for the first time in 3 years. In 2017, it was identified that 17% of adults in Tuscarawas County are smokers. The 2018 report identifies that 21% of adults are smokers. 33% of Tuscarawas County residents are currently classified as obese which is higher than that State at 32%. Additional alarming numbers include: 17% of adults report binge drinking or heavy drinking, only 7% of people report access to healthy food and 14% report food insecurities. Drug overdose deaths have been on the increase.
Physical Environment in Tuscarawas County – 2018 – 43/88 (decreased by 9 from 2017)
12% of residents report severe housing problems which include overcrowding, high costs or lack of kitchen or plumbing facilities. 85% of residents report driving to work alone compared to 83% Statewide. Only 26% report having a long, greater than 30 minute, commute to work. No drinking water violations were reported.
Social and Economic Factors of Tuscarawas County – 2018- 38/88 (decreased by 1 from 2017)
Social and economic factors vary depending on where we live and by our racial/ethnic background. 87% of Tuscarawas County residents have a least a high school diploma or GED. The unemployment rate in Tuscarawas County is 5.7%, down 0.2% from 2017. 17% of Tuscarawas County children live in poverty and 29% of children live in single-parent households. The median household income is $50,300.00 which is an increase of $2,700.00 from 2017. 43% of children in Tuscarawas County are eligible for free and/or reduced lunches. These statistics remain relatively unchanged from 2016 and 2017.
Quality of Life in Tuscarawas County – 2018 – 38/88 (improved by 4 from 2017)
For the first time in 3-years Tuscarawas County’s rank improved in quality of life 17% of Tuscarawas County residents identify that they have poor or fair health. 7% of babies born in Tuscarawas County have a low birth weight.
Conclusion
The healthiest counties in Ohio include Delaware, Geauga and Putnam, while the unhealthiest are Adams, Pike and Jackson.
Tuscarawas County ranks in the top 1/3 and has seen a higher ranking in Health Outcomes for the first time in 3 years. While this is encouraging there is still much work that needs to be done in the area of health behaviors, clinical care, physical environment and health factors.
All counties can take action to improve, no matter where they rank. It is not a race to the top and progress toward better health and change takes time – usually incrementally. The most important thing is to take action, which is already being done in collaborative efforts through coalitions such as HealthyTusc and AccessTusc. These coalitions aim to improve the health and welling of Tuscarawas County through coordinated efforts of many agencies and organizations.
For more information on the County health rankings or to compare Counties in Ohio, please visit http://www.countyhealthrankings.org.
