Parker Live News from the Parker Strip since 2009.
A blog post by Katie Turnbow, a Parker resident and public health official, has got people talking on social media sites.
In the post, Turnbow looks at what she calls some “dismal” statistics on La Paz County health:
“We are second worst in AZ for premature deaths (under the age of 75). We are the worst county when it comes to being physically inactive and excessively drinking. You are more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash in this county than most other counties in Arizona. Almost half of all families in La Paz are single parent families. We are the second worse for teen pregnancies (age 15-19). Almost 1 in 3 adults lack insurance and are obese. A few months ago I was presenting these statistics to a Rotary Club when someone chimed in with, “So you are saying that we are the oldest, laziest and drunkest count in AZ?” Well, we are also the poorest.”
She goes on to talk about how inspired she was that local officials were able to persuade the Arizona Diamondbacks to open a new “professional, Little League approved, bare feet compatible, green, luscious Diamondback sponsored” baseball field in Parker, “paid for by the Arizona Diamondbacks, APS and Aaron Hill himself.”
Turnbow believes the people of La Paz County hold the key to turning some of the statistics around:
“If you need an ounce of inspiration, look no future than your own community. It’s here and it’s growing faster than our health stats.”
See the whole post HERE.
