A state-by-state health report card, out today from the United Health Foundation, finds an array of encouraging signs for America: Rates for premature death, drug deaths, firearm deaths and homicides all fell. Rates of cancer screenings, physical activity and volunteerism all increased.
- But rates of e-cigarette use and multiple chronic conditions increased. Homelessness and unemployment — socioeconomic factors that help determine the nation's health — rose.
Why it matters: America's Health Rankings — from the United Health Foundation, established by UnitedHealth Group — synthesize 99 measures of health and well-being, drawn from 31 data sources, to produce a "comprehensive portrait of health at both the national and state levels."
State of play: The five healthiest states, based on social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors and health outcomes:
- 1. New Hampshire
- 2. Massachusetts
- 3. Vermont
- 4. Connecticut
- 5. Utah
The least healthy states:
- 46. West Virginia
- 47. Alabama
- 48. Mississippi
- 49. Arkansas
- 50. Louisiana
Go deeper: Read the full report
