Putnam is State’s Healthiest County

Where you live plays a role in your health.

Putnam County residents are the healthiest in New York State in terms of health outcomes.

The encouraging news was released Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, which completed a study dealing with health issues of America’s 3,000-plus counties.

The study illuminates a well-known trend: America’s healthiest counties like Putnam are suburban and upper income while least healthy counties tend to be poor and rural.

Putnam Commissioner of Health Dr. Sherlita Amler told the Courier in addition to having the highest health outcomes of New York’s 62 counties, Putnam ranked third lowest in untimely deaths and sixth lowest in the rate of major diseases.

The study looked at disease and premature deaths—the number of people who died before the age of 75—as well as the percentage of the population suffering from a major illness. In addition general health and premature death were tied in with factors relating to those outcomes— namely smoking and alcohol use, obesity, air pollution, motor vehicle crashes, rates of unemployment and teenage births, sexually transmitted diseases, and even access to a grocery store.

Dr. Amler said “local residents were surveyed by telephone and were actually asked about their health. Information was taken from a variety of sources for the ranking. The news tells us that the people of Putnam are making healthy decisions resulting in longer and healthier lives. Putnam is a great place to live. It is a healthy climate and the study enforces that belief.”

Despite the high ranking in health outcomes, the report indicates that Putnam is less highly ranked in access to quality health care and in environmental quality.

Binge drinking continues to be a problem with 19 percent of the county’s population admitting to consuming large amounts of alcohol. A 2008 survey across Putnam indicated that 70 percent of all students in grades 8 through 12 reported using alcohol while 45 percent of all high school seniors reported binge drinking. Putnam also has 2.4 liquor stores per 10,000 people, about double the average for New York counties.

Putnam Mental Health and Youth Director Joseph DeMarzo called the numbers “frightening” since binge drinking is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “consuming five or more drinks in a row during a two hour period.”

Meanwhile Kristin Cafiero, executive director of the National Council on Alcoholism-Putnam, said a recent study by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation reported that “young people who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 were five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who wait until the legal age of 21.”

Dr. Amler said the county “keeps working to improve quality of life with bike trails, parks, lakes and outdoor exercise facilities. When illness occurs the county is blessed with an excellent hospital, wonderful physicians, and a growing community effort to ensure care for those without adequate insurance.”

Dr. Cynthia Morrow, President of the NYS Association of County Health Officials, described the report as a “snapshot of community health that will help direct future public health initiatives at the local level. Community health is everyone’s concern.”

While Putnam is ranked number one in New York State, neighboring counties are ranked lower. Rockland is number eight while Westchester is ranked ninth. Dutchess County’s ranking was 11, followed by Orange County which was ranked 21st and the Bronx County ranked dead last at 62nd.