From United Health Foundation December 5, 2019

The United Health Foundation is celebrating 30 years of America’s Health Rankings (AHR) by releasing its 2019 Annual Report. The report looks back over 30 years to examine the meaningful progress the nation has made to improve the health of communities through long-term public health efforts, as well as the challenges that remain. The Annual Report looks at 35 core measures and reveals the healthiest and most challenged states of 2019.

Link: America's Health Ranking's 2019 Hawaii Report

HI Ranking:

Hawaii is ranked 3rd overall this year; it was ranked 1st in 2018. The state ranks 1st for senior health and 14th for the health of women and children.

HI Strengths:

· Low prevalence of obesity

· Low percentage of uninsured population

· Low cancer death rate

HI Challenges:

· High prevalence of excessive drinking

· Low percentage of high school graduation

· Low Tdap (Tentanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis) immunization coverage among adolescents

HI Highlights:

· In the past three years, drug deaths increased 19% from 11.2 to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 population

· In the past three years, public health funding decreased 15% from $225 to $192

· After reaching a peak in 2013, air pollution has decreased 41% from 9.1 to 5.4 micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter

· In the past two years, diabetes increased 10% to 11.5% of adults

· In the past two years, mental health providers increased 9% from 229.5 to 250.5 per 100,000 population

· In the past five years, frequent mental distress increased 21% to 9.9% of adults

Hawaii’s Historical Rankings

Over the past 30 years of America’s Health Rankings, Hawaii ranked #1 Healthiest State in the nation nine times (1991, 1999, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018). With the exception of 2002 when it was ranked 6th, Hawaii has always ranked in the Top 5.

The 2019 Annual Report also shows that over the past three decades, the nation has accomplished meaningful progress in improving the health of communities through long-term public health efforts like decreasing rates of smoking and infant mortality. With this progress, our nation continues to face challenges related to growing rates of obesity and diabetes, and more recent challenges with rising rates of suicide, drug deaths and premature death.

National Highlights:

· Smoking among adults has decreased 45% since the first report in 1990. Today, 16.1% of adults report smoking.

· Infant mortality has decreased 43% from 10.2 deaths in 1990 to 5.8 deaths in 2019 per 1,000 live births and decreased in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

· Diabetes has reached the highest prevalence in America’s Health Rankings history and has increased 148% from 4.4% to 10.9% of adults since 1996 – the first year we tracked it.

· Obesity has increased 166% over the past 30 years, to 30.9%

· The national suicide rate has increased 12% from 2012 – 2017, from 12.9 to 14.5 deaths per 100,000 population.

Since 2007, drug deaths have increased 104% from 9.4 to 19.2 deaths per 100,000 population

Please visit https://www.americashealthrankings.org/ to see the full 2019 America’s Health Rankings Annual Report.

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Link: America's Health Ranking's 2019 Hawaii Report