This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Fewer than one out of 10 adults in Davis County smoke and they tend to be more physically active than the average Utahn.
But they fall short in other areas including wearing seat belts, getting mammograms and managing high blood pressure when compared to state or national averages or targets. Approximately 63 percent are at an unhealthy weight, slightly more than both the state and national average.
In fact, obesity ranks as one of their biggest health concerns, according to the Community Health Status Assessment, a report released Wednesday by the Davis County Health Department.
Residents also are troubled by air quality, with 80 percent of respondents in a 2012 open-ended survey identifying it as the leading environmental health issue in the county.
The report, which took data from more than 50 sources and reviewed reports from national organizations, says Davis County is the sixth-healthiest county in Utah. But health officials aren't satisfied with that ranking.
"While there are many reasons Davis County is a healthy place to live, this assessment shows there is room for improvement," Lewis Garrett, the health department's director, said.
Isa Perry, community outreach planner for the health department, said the agency is meeting on Aug. 29 with county leaders, community groups and health organizations to set priorities and determine ways to improve residents' health.
The assessment includes social and economic factors, which also influence health. It says Davis County has less unemployment, less poverty, more homeowners, more social support and less violent crime and its residents are more educated when compared to Utah and the U.S.
The assessment also says:
• The proportion of the county's adults who are obese — or those who have a Body Mass Index of 30 or more, calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters — at 24.9 percent is lower than the 25.1 percent Utah rate and 27.4 percent U.S. rate. However, when added to the number of overweight residents (who have a BMI of 25 or more), the percent climbs to 63.1 percent. The Utah average of overweight and obese residents is 60.3 percent and the U.S. average is 62.9 percent.
• The leading causes of death in the county are heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury and stroke.
• The top four diseases reported in the county in 2012 were chlamydia, hepatitis C, pertussis and latent tuberculosis.
Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC —
By the numbers
P Davis County ranks as the sixth-healthiest county in Utah, according to the 2013 Community Health Status Assessment. The report looked at health statistics, social and economic factors, survey and other data to reach its conclusions. Visit bit.ly/1ebVKSm to view the report.