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It comes as no surprise to many who live in the state that Oklahoma ranks in the bottom three in the nation on determinants of health, according to a study done by the Community Service Council.
Using metrics of social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, and behaviors, Oklahoma ranked 48 in the health determinant rankings.
In the height of the pandemic at the beginning of 2021, Oklahoma ranked top 10 in the country for cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people. At that same time, Oklahoma was first in the country in Heart Disease Mortality according to the CDC. The third leading cause of death in Oklahoma in 2017 was Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease.
Oklahoma among most unhealthy for over two decades
Since 1997, Oklahoma has consistently ranked in the bottom 10 unhealthiest states, with 2009 being its worst year, at 49.
The Community Service Council partners with the U.S. Census Bureau to provide local access, education, and technical assistance for communities’ planning and decision-making.
According to the CDC, Oklahoma has had 9,983 COVID-19 related deaths since the start of the pandemic. A correlation can be made between Oklahoma’s overall health and the amount of cases and deaths related to COVID-19.
At the time of publication, at least 2.2 million Oklahomans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 1.8 million are fully vaccinated.
What’s in the air in Oklahoma? My daughter suffers from Asthma when home in Tulsa. Whenever, she visits us in California, her health clears up and she has no symptoms. Could it be the strict environmental health standard in CA? Or is it the complete lack of environmental standards in Oklahoma? I don’t know but this has always been the case over many years that her asthma clears up when she visits California.
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