PORT ANGELES — Clallam and Jefferson counties landed smack-dab in the middle of a state list that ranks the health of its residents.
Jefferson County ranked No. 18 and Clallam County was No. 19 out of 39 counties in health outcomes, according to the second annual County Health Rankings.
San Juan County was the healthiest and Ferry County was the least healthy in Washington state in the report released Tuesday by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which analyzed counties nationwide.
The study examines factors such as life expectancy, smoking rates and doctor-to-patient ratio to determine a county’s overall health.
It is intended to help policymakers get a clear picture of the needs of their communities.
Dr. Tom Locke, public heath officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties, said the goal of the research is to “get people talking” about certain behaviors that affect health.
“The whole point of this project is to try to get communities to work together to identify problems and do something about them,” Locke said.
The results for the North Olympic Peninsula were similar in the initial University of Wisconsin study, Locke said.
“We have a lot of positive things going on in both counties, and we’ve also got some real challenges,” Locke said.
The motor vehicle crash rate, for example, was significantly higher on the Peninsula compared with the state.
Clallam County had 21 deaths per 100,000 people in auto wrecks, Jefferson County had 18 deaths per 100,000, and the state average was 12.
“We know that’s an issue,” Locke said.
The Peninsula’s scores were on par with the state for substance abuse. However, Locke said, more detailed studies have shown that Clallam and Jefferson counties have drug and alcohol problems.
“I think both counties have significant substance abuse, and I would include alcohol and tobacco among those,” he said.
The Wisconsin study showed that 17 percent of adults smoke in Clallam County, Jefferson County and the state.
Twenty-seven percent of those sampled were obese in Clallam County and Washington state, while Jefferson County had a 22 percent obesity rate.
In all three jurisdictions, about 16 percent reported excessive drinking.
Locke said substance abuse correlates to “very real health consequences.”
The Peninsula scored particularly well for lack of sexually transmitted infections. Jefferson County had a 149-per-100,000 rate of chlamydia, compared with 225 in Clallam County and 331 in the state.
“For sexually transmitted infections, what strikes me there is the Jefferson County rate is very low compared to the state,” Locke said.
“We think there’s a reason for that.”
Locke attributed the low rate of sexually transmitted infections to robust family-planning programs. He described Jefferson County as “one of the best places in the state for reproductive health services.”
“The more people you find that have these infections and you treat them, the lower the chance of anyone else getting them,” Locke said.
“We assume the risk factors are the same amount. That’s a real public health success story there.”
Locke will discuss the findings of the new research at the Clallam and Jefferson County Board of Health meetings later this month.
While the North Olympic Peninsula has more primary-care doctors per capita — 651 people per doctor in Clallam County and 688 per doctor in Jefferson County — than the state (736 to 1), Locke said local health care access is still an issue.
“Something concerning to me is the rate of uninsured adults is steadily going up,” said Locke, referring to the 17 percent uninsured in Jefferson County and 16 percent uninsured in Clallam County.
“It used to be in the single digits five or 10 years ago, and it’s gradually creeping up,” he added.
“We still have a significant problem with access to health care. A lot of it has to do with affordability. Health care is unaffordable to many people.”
Clallam and Jefferson counties have more children in poverty — 21 percent and 20 percent, respectively — than the state average of 14 percent.
Single-parent households represent 37 percent of Clallam County households, compared with 30 percent for Jefferson County and 28 percent for the state.
Jefferson County public health officials are in the middle of a more detailed health assessment. A similar assessment will be made in Clallam County later, Locke said.
“This is the stuff we really want people to be thinking about — what is the effect of environment and nutrition and all these different risk factors,” Locke said.
For more information and an interactive map to access results for each county, visit www.countyhealthrankings.org.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
