Residents in Morgan County have the best health in the state, according to a new ranking released Tuesday.
They log the state’s fewest premature deaths, report some of the best mental health and have lowest percentage of babies born too small.
They also rank high on the behaviors that lead to better health: Residents have some of the lowest rates in the state of smoking, adult obesity, childhood poverty, single-parent households, violent crime and most have health insurance.
Morgan County is followed by Cache, Utah, Summit, and Davis as the state’s top five healthiest counties, according to the third annual County Health Rankings from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
"I believe that they’re the most healthy in the state because they choose to be," said Gary House, director of the Weber-Morgan Health Department, pointing to such factors as low smoking, obesity and teen pregnancy rates. The farming community is quickly becoming a bedroom county for professionals who work along the Wasatch Front he said.
To assess the counties’ physical environment, the report examines air quality and tallies recreation spots, supermarkets, farmer’s markets and fast food restaurants. Salt Lake Tribune
