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Some long-term health trends indicate that the city of Richmond is a healthier place, but much work remains.
The city placed 107 out of 133 counties and independent cities in terms of health outcomes in the annual health rankings released Tuesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Richmond ranked 121 in the factors that affect health outcomes.
The rankings consider factors that affect health including risky sexual behavior, alcohol and drug use, housing and food and water quality, and outcomes including rates of premature death and low birthweight.
The premature death rate in Richmond (9,200 per 100,000 population) is about 44 percent higher than the state average (6,400). It also has more than three times as many incidents of the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia, at 1,358.2 per 100,000, compared with a statewide rate of 473 cases per 100,000 residents.
Charts tracking longer-term trends in the survey show some significant progress for the city. For instance, the violent crime rate (597 per 100,000 in 2016) represents a 40 percent decline since 2007. The premature death rate is high, but shows about a 34 percent decline since the early 2000s.
For the second year, the city of Petersburg places last among Virginia’s counties and independent cities in the Virginia rankings. The premature death rate in the city (18,600 per 100,000 population) is almost three times higher than the state average (6,400), and is the worst in Virginia. It’s also the worst in the commonwealth in the rate of the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia, at 1,638.1 per 100,000, or nearly four times higher than the statewide rate of 473.2 cases per 100,000 residents.
Overall, Petersburg is at the bottom of the 133 municipalities and counties listed in the county health rankings report. Charts showing longer-term trends in the report indicate a steep drop in the violent death rate in Petersburg from 2008-11, but a slight rise since then. Charts also indicate a steep increase in premature deaths since 2012-14, and a spike in the sexually transmitted infection rate from 746 per 100,000 in 2007.
Petersburg was last in both health outcomes and health factors. Hopewell also lagged in the rankings, at No. 127 in health outcomes and No. 130 in health factors. Goochland and Hanover counties fared the best in the metro area. Goochland ranked at No. 10 in outcomes and factors, while Hanover was No. 13 in health outcomes and No. 4 in health factors. Henrico County was 34 in outcomes and 23 in health factors, and Chesterfield County ranked 29th in outcomes and 17th in health factors.
Health outcomes considered are length of life and quality of life, each weighted at 50 percent. Here's how the survey weighs particular health factors that affect the health outcomes:
Socioeconomic factors including education, work, income, support network and community safety have a 40 percent weight in the survey.
The physical environment, which includes air and water quality and housing and transit, is weighted at 10 percent. Behaviors, including smoking, alcohol and drug use, sexual activity, and diet and exercise, account for 30 percent of the score. And clinical care, which looks at access to health care and the quality of the care available, is weighted at 20 percent in the rankings.
SELECT COUNTY AND CITY RANKINGS FOR METRO RICHMOND