With a significant number of its population uninsured and a growing number of people with diabetes, Florida ranks 33rd on the 2011 list of healthiest states according to a new report “America’s Health Rankings” just released by United Health Foundation.
While the state has some strengths, such as low prevalence of binge drinking and low levels of air pollution, there are a number of challenges such as a high uninsured population, low high school graduation and high geographic disparities within the state.
The report reveals that smoking has decreased significantly in the past ten years, although more than 2.5 million adults still smoke in Florida.
Perhaps troubling is the increasing number of people that have diabetes — more than 1.5 million, an increase of nearly 700,000 people in the last ten years, giving the state a rank of 43.
In terms of obesity, the state ranks 23, where the disease is found to be more prevalent among non-Hispanic blacks at 38.8 percent than non-Hispanic whites at 24.1 percent and Hispanics at 28.7 percent. Diabetes also varies by race and ethnicity in the state; 13.4 percent of non-Hispanic blacks have diabetes compared to 9.3 percent of Hispanics and 9.5 percent for non- Hispanic whites.
Vermont tops the list of healthiest states again this year. New Hampshire takes the second spot with Connecticut in third place, followed by Hawaii and Massachusetts.
Mississippi is 50th and the least healthy state, while Louisiana is 49th. Oklahoma, Arkansas and Alabama complete the bottom five states.
See full Florida report HERE.
