NJ.com published the following article on 3/26/2014. To read the full article, click here.

Mercer County ranks eighth in residents’ health in N.J., study says

Mike Davis | March 26, 2014

In New Jersey, Mercer County is about average when it comes to its residents’ health, ranking eighth out of 21 counties in a study released yesterday.

Mercer offers better medical care than much of the state, though residents often have relatively unhealthy physical habits, according to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s new County Health Rankings, released in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Many residents here suffer from obesity, lack of physical exercise, poverty and violent crime, all of which contribute to poor health and early mortality, the report said.

“These rankings look at the length of life and quality of life for residents and what factors correlate with that,” RWJ Foundation senior Vice President James Marks said. “It allows local leaders to decide what to focus on to make our communities a better place to live and raise families.”

In general, the study is part of an effort to prevent “premature deaths” of people younger than age 75. But such mortalities can result from a number of different factors, Marks said.

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