President Obama picks Kathleen Sebelus as Health and Human Services Secretary. Kathleen is the Governor of middle state Kansas. Kansas ranks 22nd in the 2008 America's Health Rankings. A few more KS stats:
Strengths:
Few poor mental and physical health days.
High immunization coverage.
Low prevalence of smoking.
Challenges:
Low per capita public health funding.
Limited access to primary care.
Moderate rate of preventable hospitalizations.
27.7% of the KS population is obese.
See the full Kansas state rankings here.
So how does Kansas compare to your state???
Click ahead to see a few interesting ranks and facts for the other fifty states.....
America's Health Rankings 2008:
Alaska: Ranked 30. Strengths: Low levels of air pollution. Challenges: High violent crime rate.
California: Rank: 24 Strengths: Low prevalence of smoking, obesity and cancer deaths. Challenges: High levels of air pollution and uninsured population.
Oregon: Rank: 16 Strengths: Low prevalence of smoking, few poor mental health days. Challenges: Low immunization coverage, high rate of uninsured.
Washington: Rank 10 Strengths: Low prevalence of smoking and children in poverty. Challenges: Low high school graduation rate and immunization coverage.
Hawaii: Rank 2 Strengths: Low rate of uninsured, low levels of air pollution, strong public health funding. Challenges: High prevalence of binge drinking.
Colorado: Rank 19 Strengths: Low prevalence of obesity, low levels of air pollution, low rates of cancer and cardiovascular deaths. Challenges: High rate of uninsured.
Texas: Rank 46 Strengths: low cancer deaths Challenges: Limited access to primary care, high rate of uninsured, high percentage of children in poverty, high incidence of infectious diseases.
Oklahoma Rank: 43 Strengths: Low prevalence of binge drinking Challenges: High prevalence of smoking and cardiovascular deaths. Limited access to primary care.
Nebraska: Rank 13 Strengths: High rate of high school graduation, low levels of air pollution. Challenges: High prevalence of binge drinking.
Wyoming Rank: 14 Strengths: Strong public health funding, low infant mortality rate, low violent crime rate. Challenges: Low immunization coverage, high prevalence of smoking and binge drinking.
Montana: Rank 23 Strengths: Low prevalence of obesity, air pollution and infectious disease. Challenges: Low immunization coverage.
Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota: High levels of binge drinking.
Minnesota: Rank 4 Strengths: low premature death, prevalence of smoking and cardiovascular disease deaths. Challenges: Low per capita public health funding.
Arkansas: Rank 43 Strengths: Low prevalence of binge drinking Challenges: High prevalence of obesity, high rates of cancer deaths, high premature death rate.
Louisiana: Rank 50 Strengths: Low prevalence of binge drinking, strong public health funding Challenges: High percentage of children in poverty, high rate of uninsured, high rate of preventable hospitalizations.
Mississippi: Rank: 49 Strengths: Low binge drinking, low violent crime rate. Challenges: High percentage of children in poverty, high prevalence of obesity, high rate of cardiovascular disease deaths, low rate of high school graduation.
Florida: Rank 45 Strengths: Low prevalence of obesity. Challenges: High rate of uninsured, high rate of infectious diseases.
Virginia: Rank 20 Strengths: Low violent crime rate, strong public health funding. Challenges: low immunization coverage.
Pennsylvania: Rank 27 Strengths: High rate of high school graduation, low rate of uninsured. Challenges: High levels of air pollution, high rate of preventable hospitalizations.
New York: Rank: 25 Strengths: Ready access to primary care, high immunization coverage. Challenges: high incidence of infectious disease, high percentage of children in poverty.
Vermont Rank: 1 Strengths: Low percentage of children in poverty, low prevalence of obesity, low premature death rate. Challenges: high prevalence of binge drinking.
Connecticut: Rank 7 Strengths: Low prevalence of smoking, obesity and high immunization coverage. Challenges: high incidence of infectious disease,
Massachusetts: Rank 6 Strengths: Low premature death rate, low prevalence of obesity, access to primary care. Challenges: high prevalence of binge drinking.
Rhode Island: Rank 11 Strengths: low prevalence of obesity, low violent crime. Challenges: high prevalence of binge drinking.
Prevalence of Smoking (lowest):
1. Utah
2. California
3. Connecticut
4. Massachusetts
5. Minnesota
Prevalence of obesity (lowest):
1. Colorado
2. Massachusetts
3. Connecticut
4. Rhode Island
5. Hawaii
Children in Poverty (lowest):
1. New Hampshire
2. Hawaii
3. New Jersey
4. Vermont
5. Hawaii
