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NORWAY — Oxford County is the 10th healthiest of Maine’s 16 counties, according to the annual Health Index Report by MaineHealth.
The results are considered one of the state’s most reliable measures of progress on pressing health priorities such as childhood immunizations, tobacco use, obesity, preventable hospitalizations, cardiovascular deaths, cancer deaths and prescription drug abuse and addiction, said a news release from Stephens Hospital.
Good news for Oxford County in the report included the fact it’s one of five counties in the state whose premature mortality rate decreased. The release also noted that there is also positive news regarding substance abuse and its effect on babies.
“While addressing substance abuse in Oxford County is important, data suggests that this issue may not be as critical as in some counties. Oxford County’s age-adjusted drug overdose death rate was one of the lowest county rates in the MaineHealth service area (and in Maine),” the release said. “In addition, 7 percent of babies born in Oxford County in 2016 were identified with neonatal abstinence syndrome – lower than the statewide rate of 8 percent.”
However, the release noted that smoking in the county is is the highest within the MaineHealth service area at 19 percent, and that the cancer death rate in Oxford County is one of the highest in Maine.
According to the rankings, the healthiest county in Maine is Cumberland, while Washington County ranks as the unhealthiest county.
The Health Index Report is released in concert with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Rankings, an annual snapshot comparing the overall health of nearly every county in the nation. Used as a benchmark for MaineHealth’s Health Index Report, the rankings compare counties on 30 factors that influence health including education, housing, violent crime, jobs, diet, and exercise, according to the release. Together, the two reports provide insight into community health trends, progress and challenges in Maine and across the country.
