Report: Sussex is the healthiest county in Delaware

If you live in Sussex County, you are likely healthier and have a better quality of life than other people in Delaware, according to a new report.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute released its annual County Health Rankings on Wednesday, which compared all of the counties in the country. The rankings analyzed length of life, quality of life, health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment.

This year, the report found that nationally more babies are born at low birth weights, which can be an indicator of one's quality of life.

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Like last year's report, New Castle County was ranked overall as the second best county in the First State, followed by Kent County in last place.

For quality of life, Sussex County had the smallest percentage of low birthweight — 8 percent — compared to the other two counties' 9 percent. It also had the smallest number of poor mental health days — 3.6 — or the number of "mentally unhealthy days reported in the last 30 days."

New Castle County claimed the number one spot for health behaviors, followed by Sussex and Kent counties. The county had the lowest rates of adult smoking, adult obesity and physical inactivity, the report said.

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Kent County, however, received the lowest marks in all of the categories except physical environment.

The report said the county had the highest rates of obesity and sexually transmitted infections as well as the least amount of access to exercise opportunities.

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Contact Meredith Newman at (302) 324-2386 or at mnewman@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @merenewman.