National Public Health Week runs from April 1-7. It is an annual event highlighting important public health issues and progress.
Data released by the County Health Rankings project at the University of Wisconsin ranked Boulder County as one of Colorado’s healthiest counties. The county came in at number five out of 59.
The data considers health outcomes such as life expectancy, physical health and mental health. It also examines health factors such as environmental conditions and accessibility to health care.
Boulder County has the second lowest number of teen birth rates in Colorado. Approximately five in 1,000 births are by mothers ages 15-19, according to the report.
The county ranks eighth in the state for access to exercise opportunities. Ninety-five percent of residents in Boulder County live close to a park or recreation center, the report stated.
While there are many things for the county to celebrate, there are other areas that the county rank lower in. Mental health continues to be a concern. The county’s suicide rate is higher than national rates, according to the report. Also, residents report experiencing five days of poor mental health over a 30 day period.
According to the report, 22% of residents report binge or heavy drinking, ranking the county 50th out of 59 counties in the state.
Around 9% of the population does not have access to a reliable food source and income inequality, gender pay gap, child care cost and housing problems rank it worse than state or national averages.
“Boulder County households with a higher income make 5.3 times more on average than those with a lower income, a disparity that ranks 52 out of 59 participating Colorado counties,” the report states.
The county also identified that the data provided does not reflect the impact of historically oppressive and discriminatory systems and policies on people of color, the LGBTQ+ population, the unhoused, and others. The county has committed to diving deeper into the root causes of health inequities, according to a news release from the county.
“Our vision at BCPH is to contribute to creating a socially just, inclusive community where physical and mental health, social well-being and the environment are valued, supported and accessible to all,” said Dr. Lexi Nolen, Boulder County Public Health executive director.
