After much collation, the final results for the unhealthiest states in the US for 2015 have been announced and what may appear most shocking is that are nearly all of the states named are situated in the South.
Since 1990, the United Health foundation have uncovered their findings and published these in the form of US Health Rankings every year and Hawaii after claiming the top spot for four consecutive years has finally dropped out of the top ten. The rankings are compiled using data collected from a number of organizations such as the Medical Association of America, the Disease Control and Prevention Centers and the Bureau where Census information is kept. From this information results are then worked out by looking at a number of categories which includes the rate of obesity, drug deaths, and the number of smokers, violent crime statistics, childhood poverty, education, infectious disease, pollution and infant death.
Generally there has been a reduction over the past ten years of violent crime and cardiovascular deaths however there are far more children that are now living in poverty.
Whilst it is possible for you to access the complete list of state rankings here, the top 10 are listed below with a quick summary of the findings, with the top spot this year going to Louisiana.
- Louisiana has been named as the unhealthiest nation 2015, with the highest number of children living in poverty and also the highest and most problematically rate of infectious diseases.
- Mississippi claims the highest rate of infant mortality and also residents that eat the smallest number of vegetables.
- Arkansas has the highest number of teenage pregnancies and also the highest rate of obesity.
- West Virginia contains the highest concentration of people that smoke and the worst heart health.
- Alabama has the highest rates of cholesterol.
- Oklahoma rates very high in the rate of cardiovascular deaths but the state is ranked very low for the number of physicians per resident.
- Kentucky overall has the highest rate of deaths from cancer.
- Tennessee comes way down with regards to the HPV vaccination rate for women however the state does have the most days in which people report poor mental health.
- South Carolina boasts one of the lowest incomes per person and the vast numbers of teenagers in this state are not getting the recommended and much needed immunizations.
- Indiana has some of the worst pollution in the entire country and the state also suffers from some of the most meager public health funding.
