America's Unhealthiest States

[AKA2D '91]

Southern States Are Least Healthy

Annual Rankings Show U.S. Health 15% Better Than in 1990
By Lisa Habib
Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
WebMD Medical News



Nov. 11, 2002 -- It's apparently good for your health to live in New England, and not so good in the South. An annual ranking of states according to the health of their populations shows five of the top 10 states are in the Northeast and seven of the bottom 10 are in the South.

The UnitedHealth Foundation ranks New Hampshire as the healthiest state for the sixth time in the 13 years of the rankings. In the top 10, New Hampshire is followed by Minnesota, Massachusetts, Utah, Connecticut, Vermont, Iowa, Colorado, North Dakota, and Maine.

The least healthy state is Louisiana. The bottom ten are West Virginia, New Mexico, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

State Health Rankings

1. New Hampshire

2. Minnesota

3 Massachusetts

4. Utah

5. Connecticut

6. Vermont

7. Iowa (tie)

7. Colorado (tie)

9. North Dakota

10. Maine

11. Washington (tie)

11. Wisconsin (tie)

13. Rhode Island

14. Hawaii

15. Nebraska

16. South Dakota

17. Oregon

18. Virginia

19. New Jersey

20. Idaho

21. Kansas

22. Indiana

23. Pennsylvania

24. Montana (tie)

24. California (tie)

26. Wyoming

27. Ohio

28. Maryland

29. Michigan

30. Alaska

31. Illinois

32. New York (tie)

32. Missouri (tie)

34. Arizona

35. Delaware

36. North Carolina

37. Texas

38. Nevada

39. Kentucky

40. Georgia

41. West Virginia

42. New Mexico

43. Florida

44. Tennessee

45. Alabama

46. Oklahoma

47. Arkansas

48. South Carolina

49. Mississippi

50. Louisiana



The foundation based its rankings on factors including smoking, motor vehicle deaths, heart disease risk, high school graduation rates, children in poverty, prenatal care, access to health insurance, and public spending on healthcare.


It also took into account deaths from and incidence of certain diseases, deaths on the job, infant mortality, and premature death.


According to the foundation's report, the rankings reflect a state's average resident. But major disparities exist among people of different races in all states. For example, black adults have a far greater chance of dying before age 75 than Asians. And white, pregnant women are far more likely to get prenatal care than Native Americans.


Overall, the health of the United States declined by less than a percentage point from 2001 to 2002. The foundation attributed that to a decrease in public spending on healthcare and an increase in premature death (before age 75).


About 20 states had much improved health scores this year from the year before. The best increases were in Wyoming, Nevada, and South Dakota, which significantly reduced the number of their children living in poverty and improved other conditions.


Twenty-six states had worse health scores; the biggest decreases were in Maryland, Alaska, and Mississippi -- where smoking actually increased.


Since the UnitedHealth Foundation began ranking states in 1990, it says the health of the U.S. has improved 15.5% and all states individually have improved. The prime reasons are:


22% fewer smokers
40% fewer motor vehicle deaths
17% decrease in violent crime
11% increase in prenatal care
100% increase in public spending
32% reduction in infant mortality

The UnitedHealth Foundation is a private, nonprofit health information organization. It based its report on data from federal agencies.

[Honeykiss1974]

Interesting how this study list Kansas as the 20th healthiest state, but Men's Fitness Magazine list Kansas as the 25th unfit state.

Is there a difference between being unfit and being unhealthy?

[librasoul22]

D*mmit!

Why FL gotta be unhealthy AND uneducated??

Freakin' JEB!!

gfklenirugnirevnievn!

[Pink Panther40]

Just great, there's just one other thing to add to my state's (South Carolina) "wonderful" reputation.

[Steeltrap]

For the life of me, I wonder why California ranks 24th, considering how many people are into the outdoors, exercising, all that stuff. Then again, that's a certain segment of the population.

[amycat412]

Originally posted by Steeltrap
For the life of me, I wonder why California ranks 24th, considering how many people are into the outdoors, exercising, all that stuff. Then again, that's a certain segment of the population.

I'm betting over population and pollution play into CA's ratiing. As well as in most places the ocean is so dirty no one swims in it.

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by amycat412



I'm betting over population and pollution play into CA's ratiing. As well as in most places the ocean is so dirty no one swims in it.

You know, you're right. I sometimes forget that even though many of us are gym and exercise bugs, the smog and some of our filthy beaches can do us in. Plus the fact that we have some 30M people.

[AKA2D '91]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91


The foundation based its rankings on factors including smoking, motor vehicle deaths, heart disease risk, high school graduation rates, children in poverty, prenatal care, access to health insurance, and public spending on healthcare.


It also took into account deaths from and incidence of certain diseases, deaths on the job, infant mortality, and premature death.

This could be the reason in the difference in rankings. The other magazine may not have taken these factors into consideration.

[33girl]

Wow, I'm surprised Pennsylvania wasn't ranked worse - we're always hearing we're old, obese and unattractive to college educated young adults. Not only that, we put fries and steak on salads.

[lil_sunshine]

Dang it!!! The state I live in is #32 and the state I wanna live in is #40. Man oh man, what ever will I do???

[lilsisofZPhiB]

No wonder I have colesterol of 210 and I'm only 5'5, 137lbs, and 16 years old. Dog on soul food!!