Montezuma County ranks near the bottom compared with other Colorado counties in health outcomes and factors, but it is toward the top in the quality of its physical environment, according to a
The annual national rankings – released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute – are based on a variety of health factors.
Montezuma County ranked as the 44th healthiest Colorado county.
“We have lower socio-economic families in this community, and that affects a lot of things,” said Montezuma County Public Health Director Bobbi Lock.
Montezuma County scored 51st out of the 58 counties for length of life, 47th for health behaviors and 51st for social and economic factors.
The county ranked 35 out of 58 for quality of life. The rate for adults in fair or poor health is the same as the Colorado average rate, and the low birth weight rate ranking in the county is better than the state’s. Montezuma County ranks slightly worse than the average Colorado rate for number of poor physical or mental health days.
Montezuma County had a lower level for high school graduation (71 percent) than the state (77 percent) and U.S. top performers (95 percent). Montezuma County’s rate is rising, up from 62 percent in 2010.
The county’s unemployment rate was 5.6 percent. Unemployment peaked in Montezuma County at 9 percent in 2010 and has been declining in recent years, but remains higher than state and national averages.
About 29 percent of Montezuma County’s children are living in poverty, according to the rankings. That rate is up from 21 percent in 2002 and nearly double the Colorado average rate of 15 percent. That has a massive impact on kids, Lock said.
“It affects every aspect of their lives,” she said.
Even though there are lots of opportunities for outdoor recreation in the county, there are cost barriers for many people, Lock said. If you want to hike, you need to purchase good hiking shoes and have a good car to get to the trail, she said.
The adult obesity rate has gotten worse in Montezuma County, from 18 percent in 2004 to 22 percent in 2013, according to the rankings.
Lock said she uses Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment data more than the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation numbers.
The county public health department is gearing up for a survey that will seek input on what public health issues are important to county residents. That survey will go out in the fall, Lock said.
“We want to make sure that we are offering all the public health possibilities,” she said.
