Which Tampa Bay Counties Drink Excessively?
The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute collected the data about our health habits all over the United States. Their research found that our health has a direct correlation with community participation. Do our parks, libraries and schools keep residents connected? They say that’s the key to a healthy life. So how did the Tampa area do compared to the rest of the country and in Florida?
Data was broken down by state and even the county level. Generally, most parts of Florida scored poorly in their chart showing “variation in socioeconomic opportunity.” In fact, most of the southern states including Texas and California scored poorly as opposed to states up north and in the midwest.
A county by county breakdown in Florida shows where they found that adults drank a bit too much. Here in the Tampa Bay area, one county stood out: Sarasota. Pasco and Pinellas were tied for 2nd. Here were the rest. These numbers reflect “the percentage of adults per county that report excessive drinking.” [Source: CountyHealthRankings.org]
Sarasota: 22%
Citrus: 22%
Pasco: 20%
Pinellas: 20%
Manatee: 19%
Hillsborough: 18%
Hernando: 18%
Polk: 17%
Hardee: 16%
