Clark and Montgomery are among unhealthiest counties in Ohio

The healthiest county in the state was again Delaware, north of Columbus, while the unhealthiest was Lawrence in southern Ohio.

Montgomery County ranked 70th among Ohio’s 88 counties, down two spots from last year, and the lowest of all major Ohio urban counties except Lucas, which was 72nd. Clark County’s ranking improved slightly, from 74th to 71st.

The local county whose ranking declined the most was Preble County, which dropped eight spots to 68th. Miami County, meanwhile, moved up six spots to 31st. Champaign County was ranked 52nd.

Local public health officials said the third annual rankings haven’t yet accrued enough data to show meaningful changes in the overall health of local counties over time.

“It’s a snapshot, (but) it’s not a very focused snapshot,” said Charles Patterson, Clark County health commissioner.

While major public health initiatives such as a smoking ban can move the needle over time, Patterson said, short-term changes in county health rankings are likely to hinge more heavily on socioeconomic factors that are more difficult to influence.

“We’ve seen some uptick in our economy here, which could be part of the difference in the health rankings that you’re seeing,” Patterson said. “We have some positive energy in the community toward job creation and higher-tech jobs coming in. That socioeconomic trend is one of the most important factors in changing the health ranking of our county.”

Chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease are the leading killers in Montgomery County, and their impact can be reduced when people take personal responsibility for their health, said James Gross, county health commissioner. “You won’t see major improvements to chronic diseases over a 12-month period,” Gross said.

Gross noted that people shouldn’t read too much into short-term changes in the rankings.

In Butler County, where health ranking improved to 39th from 43rd last year, the overall health of residents has little to do with the care provided by doctors, said Dr. Robert Lerer, county health commissioner.