The Aloha State was named the Healthiest State of 2015. Photo: Nelly.
Hawaii! For the fourth year in a row, the beautiful state of Hawaii took the top spot in the United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings. The state has never dropped lower than 6th place since the ranking system began in 1990, and this year it took top honors once again. No doubt the gorgeous scenery and active island lifestyle has something to do with this incredible record. There’s something to be said for a landscape that keeps people outdoors.
The rankings take into account a number of factors that divide into four categories: behaviors, policy, community & environment, and clinical care. Within these four categories, specific measures weighted include the percentage of the population that is obese, the number of cardiovascular related deaths each year, the number of primary care physicians per 100,000 people, the percentage of the population with healthcare, the number of preventable hospitalizations, the percentage of the population that smokes, and many more.
Looking at Hawaii’s statistics, the state had the 2nd lowest rate of obesity in the country at 22.1% of the population. The state also had the 3rd lowest rate of cardiovascular deaths and was the state with the 2nd highest percentage of insured citizens. On the not-so-good side, Hawaii had one of the highest rates of chronic drinking and 44% of adults were reported as not getting enough sleep.
What other states topped the list? A bit of a mix: Vermont, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Hampshire round out the rest of the Top 5. The Northeastern US had a solid showing in this year’s rankings with 3 states in the Top 5 and another 5 states in the top 20. Not surprisingly, most of the West Coast of the US placed in the Top 20 as well.
So what were this year’s problem states? Simply put, the Southern states struggled. Louisiana took last place, and Mississippi, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Alabama all placed in the bottom 5. Nearly all these states had the highest rates of obesity in the country hovering right around 34% of the population.
For the nation overall, the report found good news and bad news. The good: the nation as a whole showed improvement with decreases in the number of preventable hospitalizations, increases in physical activity, increases in immunizations, decreases in infant mortality, and decreases in the the number of smokers. Unfortunately, the report found troubling data as well. The number of US drug-related deaths have risen, along with the prevalence of diabetes and obesity.
