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County Health Rankings: 2010 North Carolina <br />Introduction <br />Where we live matters to our health. The health of a <br />community depends on many different factors, including <br />quality of heath care, individual behavior, education and <br />jobs, and the environment. We can improve a <br />community's health through programs and policies. For <br />example, people who live in communities with ample <br />park and recreation space are more likely to exercise, <br />which reduces heart disease risk. People who live in <br />communities with smoke-free laws are less likely to <br />smoke or to be exposed to second-hand smoke, which <br />reduces lung cancer risk. <br />The problem is that there are big differences in health <br />across communities, with some places being much <br />healthier than others. And up to now, it has been hard to <br />get a standard way to measure how healthy a county is <br />and see where~they can improve. <br />The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the <br />University of W isconsin Population Health Institute are <br />pleased to present the 2010 County Health Rankings, a <br />collection of 50 reports that reflect the overall health of <br />counties in every state across the country. For the first <br />time, counties can get a snapshot of how healthy their <br />residents are by comparing their overall health and the <br />factors that influence their health, with other counties in <br />their state. This will allow them to see county-to-county <br />where they are doing well and where they need to <br />improve. Everyone has a stake in community health. We <br />all need to work together to find solutions. The County <br />Health Rankings serve as both a call to action and a <br />needed tool in this effort. <br />All of the County Heatth Rankings are based upon this <br />model of population health improvement: <br />In this model, health outcomes are measures that <br />describe the current health status of a county. These <br />health outcomes are influenced by a set of health factors. <br />These health factors and their outcomes may also be <br />affected by community-based programs and policies <br />designed to alter their distribution in the community. <br />Counties can improve health outcomes by addressing all <br />health factors with effective, evidence-based programs <br />and policies. <br />To compile the Rankings, we built on our prior work in <br />Wisconsin, worked closely with staff from the Centers for <br />Disease Control and Prevention and Dartmouth College, <br />and obtained input from a team of expert advisors. <br />Together we selected a number of population health <br />measures based on scientific relevance, importance, and <br />availability of data at the county level. For a more <br />detailed explanation of the choice of measures, see <br />www. countyhealthrankings. org. <br />www.countyhealthrankings.org/north-Carolina 1 <br />11 <br />Institute of Medicine, 2002 <br />