Marion County ranked among the least healthy counties in Florida

[Courtesy of County Health Rankings and Roadmaps]

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Posted August 24, 2023 | By Caroline Brauchler
caroline@ocalagazette.com

The 2023 annual county health rankings survey ranked Marion County one of the least healthy counties in Florida in the lowest 25%.

The County Health Rankings National Findings Report, created by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, ranked Marion County 53^rd out of 67 counties in the state for overall length and quality of life.

Out of all of the data collected, the county ranks significantly higher than the rest of the state and the country for the rate of premature deaths. Premature death is measured for years of potential life lost before the age of 75 for every 100,000 people in the population.

“In Marion County, Florida, 11,300 years of life were lost to deaths of people under age 75, per 100,000 people,” according to the report.

In the state of Florida, 7,500 years of life were lost to premature death and in the United States, 7,300 years were lost per 100,000 people.

The Marion County Department of Health was not able to offer comment or insight into the data at the time of publication.

The leading causes of death for people under the age of 75 in Marion County were cancer, heart disease, accidents, respiratory diseases and diabetes.

Tobacco use, drug use, alcohol use, diet and exercise, access and quality of health care, employment, education, income and housing are several factors that may influence premature death, by not only the length of life, but its quality.

In comparison, the county saw improved rates for the number of alcohol-related driving deaths. While the rate of motor vehicle accidents resulting in death that involved alcohol still remains higher than the state and nation, the percentage of deaths in this manner have decreased in Marion County.

In 2016, the survey reported that 36% of motor vehicle crash deaths involved alcohol. In this year’s report, that number has decreased to 29%.

Within the past 13 years, alcohol-related driving deaths peaked in 2010 with a high of 40%.

The study also evaluates the opportunity for communities to improve their overall health, which can be benefitted from positive civic infrastructure and involvement.

“Health factors represent those things we can modify to improve the length and quality of life for residents,” according to the report. “Marion is ranked in the lower-middle range of counties in Florida.”

Marion County has improved over time for many aspects of clinical care, including insured residents, amount of primary care physicians, dentists and preventable hospital stays.

Marion County ranks the same as both the state and country for rates of unemployment and children in poverty.

Also in the bottom 25% of counties are several surrounding Marion, including Putnam County, Citrus County and Levy County.