Shannon County - Health & Wellness

Shannon County ranked 59th among 59 South Dakota counties scored on the basis of health outcomes in 2012. Among the more startling statistics is the high number of premature deaths, which is more than four times the national average and three times the state average. Contributing factors may be the high number of homicides per capita, which is more than 20 times the national average and eight times the state average, and the high number of deaths resulting from motor vehicle crashes, which is nearly 10 times the national average and five times the state average.

Risky health behaviors – including adult smoking, obesity and excessive drinking – are found in a disproportionately high percentage of the population when compared to state and national averages. In addition, evidence suggests preventative health care falls below state and national standards as indicated by the lack of data regarding diabetic and mammography screenings, the high number of preventable hospital stays and the high patient to primary care physician ratio. More than half the children in Shannon County live in poverty and in single parent homes. This information was compiled by the Population Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin in conjunction with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. To compare Shannon County to other counties, go to: County Health Rankings: Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health.

For more data related to the risks faced by young people in Shannon County, see data provided by Kids Count at the University of South Dakota.

County-level health statistics are also available from the U.S. Deparment of Health & Human Services. Compare Shannon County to similar counties in the United States and to the national median.