A new report on county health rankings in Nebraska shows Douglas County’s STD rate and percent of children living in poverty are on the rise.
The County Health Rankings report was discussed at this week’s Board of Health Meeting. Douglas County had 540 reported STD cases per 100,000 population, according to the 2012 rankings. The percent of children living in poverty climbed from 15 percent to 21 percent.
By comparison, Sarpy County reported 269 STD cases per 100,000 population. Lancaster County reported 407 cases. The report shows 8 percent of Sarpy County children, and 18 percent of children in Lancaster County, live in poverty.
Health Department Director Dr. Adi Pour says the county's premature death rate and the adult obesity rate both declined. While they were only small changes, Dr. Pour says it shows Douglas County is improving in some areas.