Fernanda Gonzalez
04/14/2023
Last Monday, Brownsville, Texas, was ranked as the unhealthiest city to live in according to research done by WalletHub, where parameters such as health, green spaces, food, and fitness were considered.
As explained by 2023’s Healthiest & Unhealthiest cities in America, WalletHub Article, location matters when it comes to health, healthcare services are getting higher, and it’s the responsibility of the city leaders and citizens to prioritize their own well being.
From the 182 cities included in the study, four aspects were studied: health services, green spaces, food and fitness.
While the top cities listed are San Francisco, Seattle, and San Diego, Brownsville is at the bottom.
There were 43 relevant metrics evaluated, including the cost of a medical visit, premature death rate, mental-health counselors per capita, percentage of adults not eating enough fruits and vegetables daily, and more.
According to the Brownsville Public Health Department healthcare plan, it is estimated that over 15% of the U.S. population is currently without a healthcare plan or insurance. As for Brownsville, it is estimated that 48% of the citizens are not covered by insurance.
Vaquero Radio went around campus to see the opinions of the voices of UTRGV students.
Biology first-year student Rosely Solis said some of her family must go to places like Mexico to access healthcare services.
“Most of the time, they don’t have insurance or healthcare. What they do since Mexico is close to Brownsville, they go to Mexico,” said Solis.
Psychology junior Aimee Sanchez explains that she doesn’t have a healthcare service.
“It’s kind of interesting with the health services because I don’t have insurance right now, and I can’t go to the doctor when I’m sick,” Sanchez said.
If you want to know more about the health services that UTRGV provides you can go to utrgvhealthservices.com
This is Fernanda Gonzalez for Vaquero Radio.
