Thursday, December 9, 2010

DBJ... Ohio ranks in bottom half of health study


From the Dayton Business Journal…
Ohio ranks in bottom half of health study
Thursday, December 9, 2010

Ohio remained the 34th healthiest state in the U.S., unchanged from its position last year, according to the latest edition of America’s Health Rankings.
The 21st annual rankings, released this week, were published jointly by the United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention. Among other things, the study measured rates of smoking, binge drinking, violent crime, occupational fatalities, infectious disease, teen birth rates and obesity.
Strengths for the Buckeye State include:
• Low rate of uninsured population, 12.9 percent;
• Low occupational fatalities rate at 3.5 deaths per 100,000 workers; and
Ohio’s challenges include:
• High levels of air pollution, at 13.1 micrograms of fine particulate per cubic meter;
• Low per-capita public health funding at $41 per person; and
• A high rate of cancer deaths at 210.2 deaths per 100,000 population.
While fewer Ohioans are smoking, down to 20.3 percent of the population from 25.9 percent five years ago, more citizens of the Buckeye State are obese. The prevalence of obesity increased from 20.3 percent in 2000 to 29.7 percent this year.
The healthiest state is Vermont, followed by Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Hawaii. The bottom five states, in order, are Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Nevada and Oklahoma.

No comments: