McDowell CHOICES creates program to promote family health in southern West Virginia

A West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences program that aims to increase physical activity for students in McDowell County will kick off a new wellness challenge that will help McDowell County families lead healthy lifestyles. Read More...

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The goal of McDowell CHOICES is to improve physical activity opportunities for citizens of McDowell County, WV in school and family settings.

Population Health

• According to the Robert Wood Johnson’s 2012 Health Rankings, McDowell County ranked last (55th) in the state relative to health outcomes (how healthy a county is) and health factors (what influences the health of the county).
• The premature death rate of McDowell County citizens (18,680 per 100,000 population) is over three times the national benchmark (5,466), and two-fold that of WV (9,587), placing McDowell last among the 55 counties in the state.
• McDowell is ranked 53th in morbidity, a general measure of perceived quality of life, with a reported 35% of residents citing poor or fair health (County Health Rankings, 2012).

Children's Health

• Surveillance program that identifies children and their families at risk for heart disease and diabetes, reported that 46.5% of 5th grade students statewide were either overweight or obese (2011-2012 CARDIAC).
• In McDowell County alone the rate was 58%.
• Hypertension, which is most commonly observed in obese children, was reported in 20.3% children statewide and 31% in McDowell County (2011-2012 CARDIAC).

Sources

Robert Wood Johnson's 2013 Health Ranking | Link
TheCARDIAC Project | Link
CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (CDC BRFSS) | Link
WV Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (WV BRFSS) | Link