Virginia Ranks Among Healthiest States

An annual ranking released by the United Health Group ranks the healthiest states for 2017, and Virginia places in the top 20 states on the list. The rankings place the state as the 19th healthiest state in the country, the same place in the rankings from the previous year.

The group's annual "America's Health Rankings" report published this month looks at 35 measures covering behaviors, community and environment, policy, clinical care and outcomes data. The report's executive summary says that the country is facing serious public health challenges, including rising rates of premature death and an uneven concentration of health care providers.

According to the report, the premature death rate (death before the age of 75) increased for the third straight year in the United States. 2017 also saw an increase in the rates of cardiovascular and drug deaths nationwide. The report also found a wide disparity in the concentration of both mental health providers and of primary care physicians and dentists in the country.

The healthiest states in the U.S. for 2017 are:

1. Massachusetts
2. Hawaii
3. Vermont
4. Utah
5. Connecticut

The states that rank at the bottom of the report are:

1. West Virginia
2. Alabama
3. Arkansas
4. Louisiana
5. Mississippi

According to the report, Virginia's place in the rankings remains unchanged at No. 19. The state ranks 25th for senior health and 12th for the health of women and children.

Some of the Commonwealth's strengths highlighted in the report are a low violent crime rate, low percentage of children in poverty, and a low drug death rate. Some of the challenges the state faces are low immunization coverage among children; a lower number of mental health providers; and low HPV immunization coverage among adolescent females.

In the past five years, smoking decreased 27 percent from 20.9 percent to 15.3 percent of adults, while the rate of drug deaths in Virginia increased 41 percent from 8.0 to 11.3 deaths per 100,000 population. In the past six years, low birthweight decreased 6 percent from 8.4 percent to 7.9 percent of live births.

Also, in the past three years, Virginia's premature death numbers increased 3 percent from 6,502 to 6,696 years lost before age 75 per 100,000 population, while in the past seven years, infant mortality decreased 21 percent from 7.3 to 5.8 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Click here for the full 2017 America's Health Rankings report.

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