A healthy place to live

2:55pm Friday 4th July 2008

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HEREFORDSHIRE has again proved it is one of the healthiest places in England in which to live.

In the latest report into the nation’s well-being, the Department of Health confirmed the population was generally more healthy than the rest of the country.

However, there are symptoms to worry about. Tooth decay in five year old children, road injuries and deaths, and the number of obese people in Herefordshire were among the county’s major concerns.

But overall the report says that very few parts of the county fall into the fifth most deprived areas in England.

Key indicators in the health profile for Herefordshire are: The health of people is generally better than the average for England.

Very few parts of the county are in the fifth most deprived areas and none is in the least fifth deprived. Life expectancy shows little variance between the different levels of deprivation.

Over 10 years, death rates from all causes and early death from heart disease, stroke and cancer have fallen along with the average rates for England, but have always been lower.

Rates of road injuries and deaths are higher than the average together with the estimated proportion of adults who are obese.

Levels in tooth decay in five-year-old children are higher that the English average.

Life expectancy is longer than average.

Rates of death from smoking related causes are lower than the English average – as is the estimated proportion of adults who smoke.