New Castle is the healthiest county in the state of Delaware.
That’s the conclusion of the 2012 County Health Rankings by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Meanwhile, Kent County as in the past ranked the lowest for overall health…although residents do live longer than those in Sussex County.
Paul Silverman with the Division of Public Health told the Wilmington News Journal that it was difficult to tell why Kent is less healthy than other counties.
People in Kent County have the poorest access to primary care while a quarter of residents smoke and a third are obese.
While New Castle County has the healthiest residents it also has the poorest air quality.
Meanwhile, Peggy Geisler, executive Director of the Sussex Health Promotion Coalition, said Sussex and New Castle Counties do have programs aimed at promoting health.
The News Journal reports that Kent County has fewer fast food restaurants and greater access to good nutrition.
The researchers analyzed date ranging from how long people live and the number of adults who smoke or are obese to the percentage on Medicare.
