Massachusetts is the second healthiest state in the U.S., according to report
Connecticut and Vermont also made the top five.
Massachusetts is home to some of the nation’s top hospitals and a world-renowned marathon, so it may not be too much of a surprise that the state has been ranked the second healthiest state in the country in the annual America’s Health Rankings report.New England was well-represented in the top five, with Connecticut nabbing the No. 3 spot and Vermont coming in as the fifth healthiest state in the U.S. New Hampshire ranked at No. 6, Rhode Island at No. 14, and Maine at No. 22. For the fifth year in a row, Hawaii was named the healthiest state in country.
Which states have the highest rates of adults with multiple unhealthy behaviors? Find out: https://t.co/fOY5DwBV2W #AHR2016 pic.twitter.com/AK0gMV2vv0
— AHR_Rankings (@AHR_Rankings) December 1, 2016
The report, compiled for the 27th year by the United Health Foundation, examines each state’s health across 34 measures in five classifications: behaviors, policy, clinical care, community and environment, and outcomes. Massachusetts, which rose one spot from its third place ranking last year, got five stars in each of the classifications except health outcomes.
While the Massachusetts did particularly well in some categories, such as having a higher number of primary care physicians, a low rate of obesity, and a smaller number of people without health insurance, the state fell short in other areas. For example, the report found that Massachusetts has a high prevalence of excessive drinking, a large disparity in health status based on education, and a high rate for Salmonella cases.
Like the rest of the country, Massachusetts has also experienced rising numbers for drug mortality. The report found that drug deaths in Massachusetts have increased 34 percent in the past three years, from 11.7 to 15.7 deaths per 100,000 people.
Nationwide, the United Health Foundation reported that the rate of drug deaths increased by 4 percent over the last year.
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report stating that more than 50,000 people died in the U.S. from drug overdoses in 2015.
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