MITCHELL, S.D.-More South Dakotans are smokers, obese or die prematurely than the average American.
A report released this week by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute shows South Dakota has 3 percent more people than average who suffer from adult obesity and 1 percent more South Dakotans smoke than the national average. South Dakotans also lose 7,000 years of life before age 75 per 100,000 people, compared to 6,700 years of life lost before age 75 nationally.
The report determined Oglala Lakota and Todd counties were the least healthy in the state, while Lincoln and Turner counties were the healthiest.
"We can't be a healthy, thriving nation if we continue to leave entire communities and populations behind," said Richard Besser, RWJF president and CEO. "Every community should use their County Health Rankings data, work together and find solutions so that all babies, kids and adults - regardless of their race or ethnicity - have the same opportunities to be healthy."
The report also states that 17 percent of South Dakota children live in poverty, which is better than the national average of 20 percent.
ADVERTISEMENT
"The time is now to address long-standing challenges like child poverty," said Julie Willems Van Dijk, director of the County Health Rankings & Roadmap. "This year's rankings are a call to action to see how these persistent health gaps play out locally, take an honest look at their root causes and work together to give everyone a fair shot at a healthier life."
While child poverty is lower in South Dakota than the national average, the state fares poorly elsewhere in the report.
According to the rankings, South Dakotans have lesser access to dentists and mental health professionals than the national average. The state also has three more teen births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19, and excessive drinking is 2 percent higher in South Dakota than throughout the country.
South Dakota also sees a far greater percentage of driving deaths with alcohol involvement than the national average. According to the report, the national average for driving deaths involving alcohol is 29 percent. In South Dakota, it's 37 percent.
