As an ongoing look at data from the Kentucky Kids County Survey, today we take a look at how Russell County performed in a few categories related to child health.
Russell County saw a notable decline in the percentage of expecting mothers who smoked during pregnancy. From 2014-2016, that number was 27.6 percent. From 2019-2021, that percentage dropped to 19.8 percent. That still ranks 62nd in the state and is higher than the 14.2 percent state average but the 7.8 percent decrease is notable.
Russell County ranks among the best in the state in regard to low-birthweight babies. Only 6.6 percent of babies in Russell County are categorized as low-birthweight, which is 11th best in the state.
Russell County saw its number of children under the age of 19 with health insurance increase slightly, from 95 percent in 2016 to 95.4 percent in 2021. That only ranks 78th among Kentucky’s 120 counties.
Finally, Russell County saw a significant decrease in teen births, dropping from 58.7 per 1,000 females ages 15-19 in 2014-2016 to 30.7 in the years 2019-2021. That’s higher than the state rate of 22.8 and ranks 73rd among Kentucky counties.
