Milwaukee residents may have brought home the title of America's drunkest city earlier this year, but when it comes to topping the University of Wisconsin's annual health rankings, they have a long way to go.
The 2006 Wisconsin County Health Rankings, released earlier this month by the UW's Population Health Institute, put the City of Milwaukee dead last in the state, thanks to abysmal scores in mortality rate, risky behavior and self-reported health
The report ranked 73 areas: The state's 72 counties plus the City of Milwaukee.,”By Marino Eccher
Milwaukee residents may have brought home the title of America's drunkest city earlier this year, but when it comes to topping the University of Wisconsin's annual health rankings, they have a long way to go.
The 2006 Wisconsin County Health Rankings, released earlier this month by the UW's Population Health Institute, put the City of Milwaukee dead last in the state, thanks to abysmal scores in mortality rate, risky behavior and self-reported health
The report ranked 73 areas: The state's 72 counties plus the City of Milwaukee.
Patrick Remington, director of the institute and co-author of the report, said the study looked at the city separately from Milwaukee County in response to concerns from city health officials that the county data, which included figures from surrounding areas such as Shorewood and Whitefish Bay, did not accurately reflect the city.
The city ranked 72nd in the state in premature mortality rate, measured as the number of years of potential life lost to deaths before the age of 75. The death of a 45-year-old, for instance, would be counted as 30 years of potential life lost.
According to the report, Milwaukee lost 10,577 years of potential life per 100,000 people between 2002 and 2004, compared to the state average of 5,839.
Remington said the city has not made meaningful progress toward reducing the mortality rate over the last several years, and does not appear to be in a position to make significant inroads by the end of the decade.
"You look at that trend in the mortality rate and it really is not declining," he said.
He also said the city demonstrated high rates of behaviors that are considered health risks. Milwaukee ranked 62nd in cigarette smoking, 72nd in teen birth rates, 71st in rates of both sexually transmitted diseases and violent crime, and 69th in obesity. The city came in 69th overall in self-reported health.
The report did reveal a few bright spots: Milwaukee came in first in the state in the percent of its population exposed to nitrates in drinking water, and sixth in the number of motor vehicle crash deaths.
But nearly everything else, Remington said, "represents a challenge."
He said the city and the state must work to find solutions to the socioeconomic factors that contribute to its health problems. Milwaukee ranked near the bottom of the state in unemployment, high school dropout rates and child poverty.
"This type of disparity between the haves and have-nots is unacceptable," he said.
Peter Vila, a project assistant for the institute and a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said a common misconception is that major public health issues can be addressed solely through clinics or special programs.
Instead, he said, Milwaukee must look for solutions in the big picture.
"These aren't just limited to one sector of the public health," he said. "It really is a societal problem."
Florence, Waukesha and Ozaukee counties topped the rankings as the state's healthiest areas. Menomonee and Juneau counties joined Milwaukee at the bottom of the heap.
Raquel Filmanowicz, a health communications officer for the City of Milwaukee, said in a statement that the city had made progress in improving public health. She also said the city acknowledges that there is room – and need – for improvement.
The rankings and report were compiled using data from state health departments, census reports and Center for Disease Control surveys.
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