By JoNel Aleccia, for The Seattle Times
Washington state was the 13th healthiest state in the nation in 2014, moving up a notch from last year, according to a broad-based survey that has measured changes in smoking, obesity, infant mortality and other public-health markers for 25 years.
The state gets high marks for having babies born at healthy birthweights, high rates of physical activity and low rates of preventable hospitalizations, according to the latest edition of America’s Health Rankings.
But it also faces ongoing challenges with high rates of whooping cough, high rates of drug deaths and a big disparity in health status among those who are well-educated and those who are not.
“Overall, I think we’re pleased we improved,” said Dr. Kathy Lofy, the state’s chief health officer. “But, clearly, there’s a lot more work to be done.”
United Health Foundation, a private, nonprofit group, has offered an annual snapshot of America’s health since 1990.
Hawaii was ranked as the healthiest state in the country for the third straight year, with Vermont coming in at No. 2, followed by Massachusetts at No. 3. Mississippi ranked last at No. 50, preceded by Arkansas and Louisiana.
Read the Full Article at The Seattle Times.
