The 15 Unhealthiest States
Missouri spends only $41 per resident on public health, a fraction of the $204 spent by the healthiest overall state, Hawaii. The state also ranks low on the immunization rate for adolescents and the number of dentists per capita. On the other hand, a smaller number of children live in poverty relative to other states.
Flickr/Joe Penniston
New Mexico fell four places in the health rankings this year. The poor performance can be attributed to a high number of drug deaths and violent crimes. The state also has a relatively low rate of high school graduation.
Flickr/John Fowler
Over the past 20 years, the percentage of children in Nevada living in poverty has jumped from 16.4 percent to 23.9 percent. The state also has a low high school graduation rate and a large number of people without health insurance. On the bright side, the number of adults who smoke has dropped from 19.4 percent to 17 percent.
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In the past year, physical inactivity among adults dropped 12 percent, but that wasn’t enough to eliminate of the high prevalence of obesity in the Buckeye State. A relatively large percentage of adults also have diabetes, and only $42 is spent per resident on public health.
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Georgia fell two spots this year, thanks to a large uninsured population and a low high school graduation rate. Low birthweight is a state-wide problem. On the other hand, the state has cleaner air, with air pollution dropping 34 percent over the past 10 years.
Flickr/JR
The Hoosier State spends only $39 per resident on public health, and air pollution is a common problem. A large portion of the adult population smokes and is obese. The good news is there’s a low rate of salmonella infections.
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The state suffers from a high violent crime rate and immunization for adolescents is below par. A significant number of adults smoke, but a smaller than average percentage of the population engages in excessive drinking.
Flickr/Mark Clifton
Residents of Tennessee report the highest number of “poor mental health days” in the country, and that indicator is on the rise. The state also has a low immunization rate among adolescent females for HPV, and a high percentage of the adult population smokes.
The Blue Grass State has the highest rate of both cancer deaths and preventable hospitalizations. Over the past year, the rate of diabetes grew from 10.6 percent to 12.5 percent of adults. More than a quarter of the adult population in Kentucky smokes.
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Oklahoma has a weight problem, with obesity affecting 33 percent of the adult population. There’s also a small number of primary care physicians in the Sooner State and a high rate of cardiovascular deaths.
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Alabama might be exceptional at football, but it’s severely lacking in the health category. The state has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country, and low immunization numbers for adolescent males for HPV. People in Alabama also take a lot of days off every month, citing poor mental and physical health.
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West Virginia has the highest percentages of adults who smoke and who suffer from diabetes. The state also has the lowest percentage of immunized children. Meanwhile, it boasts the lowest incidence of infectious disease, including chlamydia, pertussis and salmonella.
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The heaviest state in the nation, 35.9 percent of the Arkansas adult population is obese and a little under a third is physically inactive. The state also has the most limited availability of dentists, and a smaller than average number of primary care physicians per resident.
Flickr/Nicholas Henderson
Although Mississippi is no longer ranked as the unhealthiest state, it still has a ways to go before being considered healthy. Mississippi has the largest inactive adult population, the highest premature death rate, and the lowest immunization coverage among adolescents. Oddly enough, it has the smallest difference in health status based on education level – meaning everyone shares in the states relatively poor health.
Flickr/Roger Smith
The Bayou State replaces Mississippi as the unhealthiest state of 2015. With the highest percentage of children living in poverty, 14 percent of the adult population in Louisiana smokes and 34.9 percent are obese. Violent crime and infant mortality are severe problems. And the state is cutting back on public health spending, with funding decreasing from $95 to $64 per capita over the last five years.
Flickr/Finchlake