Arizona health ranks 25th in US
Dec 11, 2012, 9:31 AM | Updated: 9:31 am
A new report from the United Health Foundation and the American Public Health Association and Partner for Prevention ranked Arizona the 25th healthiest state in the U.S.
The ranking is down two spots from last year, but the report showed the state still faces a number of challenges.
Arizona has a high percentage of children in poverty at 24.7 percent. The number ranks the state at 43rd in the country. The report also lists the availability of primary care physicians is limited at about 96 per 100,000 population.
There are several factors involved in the rating.
Arizona has a low obesity rate at about 25 percent of the population with 1.2 million obese adults. The state also has a low rate of cancer deaths — 158 deaths per 100,000. That’s down from 175 from five years ago.
Overall, Vermont topped the list as healthiest state for a fourth straight year. Mississippi and Louisiana are tied for 49th. The two states have been in the bottom three since the 1990 edition of the report.
