Kathy Stewart, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – Recently released numbers show a glaring number of disparities in the health outcomes for residents of Prince George’s County.
Besides a high level of premature death, the county has high numbers of uninsured adults and poor access to primary care doctors.
The findings come from a Maryland Nonprofits data analysis, with data collected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Overall, Prince George’s County ranked 17th among Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City. The county has a higher number of low birth weight babies, high levels of obesity among adults and high levels of sexually transmitted diseases. One in three county residents is obese.
The county also has lower than average rates of smoking and drinking among adults. It ranked 12th in healthy behaviors.
While the health of county residents is below average, Heather Iliff with Maryland Nonprofits says by making the information available, policy makers, community organizations and others can work together to make changes and improve the health of residents.