Louisiana moved up from dead last to No. 49 on the latest America’s Health Rankings Report from the United Health Foundation.
“We have made important strides across the country against public health challenges; however, we are at a crossroads between a healthier future as a nation and a future in which troubling public health measurements become increasingly common,” says Dr. Reed Tuckson, the foundation’s external senior medical adviser, in a prepared statement. “Of particular concern is the first-time rise in cardiovascular deaths, despite all the medical advances in this area. This data provides a roadmap for states, local communities and the public health sector to work together to get ahead of the challenges coming.”
According to the annual report, Hawaii, is the healthiest state in the union, followed by Massachusetts. Louisiana has ranked among the five least healthiest states for years now, and this year resumes the No. 49 ranking it had in 2014. The Bayou State is challenged by the high prevalence of obesity, low birthweight and infant mortality, the report notes.
But Louisiana has also shown progress in some areas. The population of Louisiana children living in poverty decreased from 33.7% to 24.7% over the past year, and preventable hospitalizations also decreased by 40% from 111.9 to 67.5 discharges per 1,000 Medicare enrollees, the report says. Meanwhile, HPV immunization among males aged 13 to 17 years increased from 21.5% to 30.5%
However, public health funding has decreased 28%, from $102 to $73 per person, in Louisiana. And the pool of adults living with diabetes increased from 11.3% to 12.7%.
Only Mississippi trails Louisiana in the latest rankings. Rounding out the bottom five states are Arkansas (48th), Alabama (47th), and Oklahoma (46th).
