Last week the the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)released a comprehensive county-by-county survey of overall health in the United States.  And just what did they find? Well, their study confirms one thing – that being poor is bad for your health!

The counties are ranked by a number of health factors, including behaviors like smoking and excessive drinking.  But, they also take into consideration other factors, like poverty, educational opportunities, and crime rates.  These social and economic factors play a big role in health outcomes, but are too often ignored in public health initiatives.

The County Health Rankings are a key component of the Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH) project, a collaboration between the RWJF and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.  In an effort to instigate change, MATCH is offering a series of grants to communities that are ready to take action to address the social and economic factors that affect health.

To learn more, see the following:

• Click here to view the interactive county and state health rankings
• Click here to read more details on the community grants available via the MATCH program
• Click here to learn more about action steps that you can take to improve the health of your community