Marlboro County, SC

Team Profile Summary

In King County, there are racial inequities in well-being that are influenced by such factors as: institutionalized racism, income, access to living-wage jobs,  access to education and resource-rich schools, neighborhoods and access to safe, affordable housing, and criminal justice involvement. Racism and inequities in income, educational attainment, housing, and criminal justice involvement result in health disparities.

Team Profile Details

According to the 2015 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps data report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Marlboro County now ranks 46 as the least healthy county in South Carolina.

Marlboro County residents are uninsured at a rate of 20.4%, food insecure, obese at a rate of 25.8%, and unemployed at a rate of 39.8%. Nearly 28.3% of Marlboro County residents considered their health to be fair or poor compared with just 16.2% of state and 16.0% of residents across the nation who graded their health as poor. As such, the Marlboro County team seeks to expand their efforts and focus on promoting equity in all policies, particularly food insecurity and obesity.

Team Objectives

• To collaborate with SC Eat Smart Move More Coalition and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to develop programs and activities to concentrate on reducing the obesity rate.
• To partner with the Clemson Extension Service to eliminate food deserts and to teach adults and youth how to augment limited budgets by selecting and preparing low-cost tasty, nutrient dense meals.
• To reduce food insecurity, especially in children, by joining community organizations that bridge the weekend food gap with the School BackPack Program.
• To encourage our legislative delegation to actively pursue state and federal funding for health care insurance.