When Indiana's county health rankings came out at the end of last month, academics at region universities weren't too surprised to see the Lake County near the bottom of the 92-county list.
Using indicators that ranged from adult obesity to air pollution days, Lake County came in 84th healthiest overall and dead last in terms of health factors, which include the areas of adult obesity, adult smoking, excessive drinking, sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancy.
The same study, done by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, showed Porter County coming in 18th best overall and 19th for health factors. The Illinois breakdown presented Cook County as 70th overall and 83rd in health factors out of Illinois' 102 counties.
Maureen Panares, director of Student Health at Purdue University Calumet, said large corporations look at reports such as these to assess the quality of life in an area when deciding where to locate.
"It's really shortsighted not to take these things seriously," she said.
Still, Patrick Bankston, dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Indiana University Northwest, said the ranking doesn't come as a surprise.
"It shows all the things you would expect in an urban population," he said.
Ivan Budisin, a staff psychologist at the Counseling Center at Purdue University Calumet, said the rate of unhealthy behaviors are extremely high. In a conversation with Panares, he said the high rate could be because of a lack of information.
Panares said because the country isn't socialized, those with a better education get better jobs, which leads to better health care.
But Bankston said it's common knowledge that some behaviors, such as smoking, are bad for your health. Plenty of region residents continue to light up. He said he has no idea why people ignore their health, but speculates it has to do with the "midwestern pioneer spirit" of just wanting to be left alone.
"I think we're notorious in this country -- it's amplified here-- of doing the opposite of what people tell us to do," he said.
Ellen Szarleta, an assistant professor in the division of public and environment affairs at Indiana University Northwest, said Lake County's physical environment numbers are a result of the area's history and the choices of the past, such the industry and manufacturing that has built up around Lake Michigan. Issues considered in physical environment are air pollution particulate matter and ozone days, access to healthy food and access to recreational facilities.
She said a lot of information related to these numbers is extremely complex, and it's difficult to find a way for residents to connect with it. One way to combat that is to talk to the community about what their priorities are.
"People have to feel like they're part of the process. We might have different results if we incorporate the public from the beginning," she said.
While it can be frustrating for Lake County to come in 84th for the two years this study has been conducted, Panares said the study is still young, and the most value will be looking at the study after 10 years of data have been collected.
Ultimately, a change in the health rankings will come only when Lake County residents make the decision to change, said Kenneth Jackson, director of the Counseling Center at Purdue Calumet.
"The population need to be ready for change. It can't just be a legislative policy issue," he said. "More of the same is not going to get Lake County better physical health, better mental health."
Using indicators that ranged from adult obesity to air pollution days, Lake County came in 84th healthiest overall and dead last in terms of health factors, which include the areas of adult obesity, adult smoking, excessive drinking, sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancy.
The same study, done by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, showed Porter County coming in 18th best overall and 19th for health factors. The Illinois breakdown presented Cook County as 70th overall and 83rd in health factors out of Illinois' 102 counties.
Maureen Panares, director of Student Health at Purdue University Calumet, said large corporations look at reports such as these to assess the quality of life in an area when deciding where to locate.
"It's really shortsighted not to take these things seriously," she said.
Still, Patrick Bankston, dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Indiana University Northwest, said the ranking doesn't come as a surprise.
"It shows all the things you would expect in an urban population," he said.
Ivan Budisin, a staff psychologist at the Counseling Center at Purdue University Calumet, said the rate of unhealthy behaviors are extremely high. In a conversation with Panares, he said the high rate could be because of a lack of information.
Panares said because the country isn't socialized, those with a better education get better jobs, which leads to better health care.
But Bankston said it's common knowledge that some behaviors, such as smoking, are bad for your health. Plenty of region residents continue to light up. He said he has no idea why people ignore their health, but speculates it has to do with the "midwestern pioneer spirit" of just wanting to be left alone.
"I think we're notorious in this country -- it's amplified here-- of doing the opposite of what people tell us to do," he said.
Ellen Szarleta, an assistant professor in the division of public and environment affairs at Indiana University Northwest, said Lake County's physical environment numbers are a result of the area's history and the choices of the past, such the industry and manufacturing that has built up around Lake Michigan. Issues considered in physical environment are air pollution particulate matter and ozone days, access to healthy food and access to recreational facilities.
She said a lot of information related to these numbers is extremely complex, and it's difficult to find a way for residents to connect with it. One way to combat that is to talk to the community about what their priorities are.
"People have to feel like they're part of the process. We might have different results if we incorporate the public from the beginning," she said.
While it can be frustrating for Lake County to come in 84th for the two years this study has been conducted, Panares said the study is still young, and the most value will be looking at the study after 10 years of data have been collected.
Ultimately, a change in the health rankings will come only when Lake County residents make the decision to change, said Kenneth Jackson, director of the Counseling Center at Purdue Calumet.
"The population need to be ready for change. It can't just be a legislative policy issue," he said. "More of the same is not going to get Lake County better physical health, better mental health."