STUDY GIVES HAWAIʻI HIGH MARKS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

News Release from Hawaii DoH, Jan 29, 2025

HONOLULU — Hawaiʻi ranked eighth best among the states in key health measures, according to America’s Health Rankings 2024 Annual Report. While Hawaiʻi has maintained its status as one of the nation’s healthiest states, the latest ranking is a drop from sixth place in 2023.

“For many key indicators of public health, the data show that Hawaiʻi performs exceptionally well,” said Dr. Kenneth Fink, director of the Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH). “However, in certain areas – primarily economic factors and certain personal behaviors – there are opportunities for improvement.”

Hawaiʻi ranked No. 1 for health outcomes, led by the lowest rates in the nation for both reported frequent mental distress and racial disparities in premature death; second-lowest rate of adult obesity; and third-lowest rate of adults with multiple chronic conditions.

For clinical care, Hawaiʻi ranked No. 7 overall, having the lowest rates in the nation for avoided care due to cost and also preventable hospitalizations, and having the second-lowest percentage of uninsured. However, the state still needs more medical professionals, ranking 28th in the number of medical health providers and 34th for primary care providers.

The report also collected data on the health of the economy, Hawaiʻi’s physical environment and personal behaviors, factors that affect general public health.

Hawaiʻi ranked 36th on the Economic Hardship Index, which includes such factors as crowded housing, dependency, low levels of education, per capita income, poverty and unemployment. And while the state scored top marks for low rates of air pollution and drinking water violations, it also ranked 50th in terms of severe housing problems (including overcrowding, lack of basic household facilities and cost-burdened occupants).

Other areas where Hawaiʻi performed poorly were for volunteerism (45th), voter participation (34th), insufficient sleep (50th), e-cigarette use (44th) and excessive drinking (44th).

America’s Health Rankings analyzes more than 280 unique measures from more than 80 publicly available databases to provide a state-by-state assessment of the nation’s health and well-being. To see Hawaiʻi’s data, visit the 2024 Annual Report page and click on “State Summaries.”

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PDF: Hawaii State Summary Report

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