Sunday, February 21, 2010

Queens is healthiest borough in the city

From the Daily News:

The bodega-riddled Bronx is the unhealthiest place to live in New York State, a new report says.

The other four boroughs didn't fare much better, the study by the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found.

The healthiest New Yorkers call scenic Putnam County home, while Queens won top marks in the city.

Of New York's 62 counties, Queens ranked 22nd, Manhattan was 30th, Staten Island hit 34th and Brooklyn came in a lowly 58th - four slots ahead of the Bronx.

Counties with large minority populations and high rates of poverty, like the Bronx and Brooklyn, consistently rank as less healthy, officials say.

Many residents of those areas struggle to buy fresh produce, join gyms and visit doctors. They're also more likely to be obese and diabetic than their wealthy counterparts.

The study ranked the "health outcomes" of counties in each state by looking at longevity, baby weight and how residents feel physically and mentally.

Researchers also did a second ranking that measured factors that impact residents' health, such as smoking, exercise, access to parks and the number of health care providers nearby.

8 comments:

Klink Cannoli said...

Wow. This is the very type of study I ranted about in the Vallone/Cell tower post. All my points illustrated in black and white. This is what's passed off as science today. Ugh!

Lino in Mnahattan said...

Well, the air in Bayside is a lot better.

Klink Cannoli said...

In my opinion, it really comes down to wealth of the inhabitants. How the wealth is stratified in a given area as well. One particular analyst I studied recently reasoned thusly for the health vs. wealth correlation: [Paraphrase] The wealthier you are; the better healthcare you can receive, the more likely you are to exercise or partake in activities that promote your well being, the better educated in health subjects, have access to better quality food, be exposed to less financial stress, maybe even less stress in general. Those were most of the points.

I've seen this correlation with other quality studies as well. Pretty interesting. Puts things in perspective.

Anonymous said...

I am curious to know the method of data collection for this study. Many of these studies are tainted from the get go.

Matt said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Matt said...

Bayside air is better? Nearly every diesel truck traveling between Long Island and most points in the northeast US and Canada rumbles through Bayside.

linda said...

wow i hope it doesn't get out and more move to queens.. our communities are over populated, we are the "borough" of great need for schools.

Klink Cannoli said...

Anonymous said...
I am curious to know the method of data collection for this study.
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