DeKalb ranks low in metro Atlanta on a new report on the health of Georgia counties.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute rate Forsyth County as the healthiest county in the state. DeKalb’s fellow core metro Atlanta counties Cobb and Gwinnett each ranked in top 10, but DeKalb ranked 23rd of Georgia’s 159 counties, one spot ahead of Fulton.
Factors considered in the study released this week include length and quality of life, as well as, smoking, obesity and the availability of medical care.
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In environment, DeKalb was 92nd, a rank influenced by air pollution and commuting concerns.
In length of life, DeKalb was 17th of 159.
In terms of health care, which includes costs and the number of uninsured people, DeKalb placed 7th.
Sparsely-populated Quitman County in southwest Georgia was the least healthy county according to the study.
Read the full 2017 County Health Rankings report here.
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