Maryland Health: How State Ranks on 63 Key Measures

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland, again, was slightly ahead of the national average in the latest America's Health Rankings report — a collection of dozens of key measures that help determine a state's overall health. Measures include health issues like diabetes and cholesterol rates, environmental conditions like air pollution and water quality, and social factors like graduation rates and unemployment.

Overall, Maryland ranked 18th among the 50 states — that's the same spot as last year, and one spot higher than neighboring Virginia. Hawaii is considered the healthiest state, followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, Minnesota and Vermont. The state at the bottom of the list was Mississippi at 50.

America's Health Rankings is the longest-running annual assessment of the nation's health based on state results, according to the report's sponsors at the United Health Foundation and the American Public Health Association. Data used to determine the rankings comes from the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Census Bureau, the American Medical Association and more. See the complete report at American Health Rankings online.

More at Patch:

• Maryland Ranks High on Best States to Live List
• Obesity in Maryland: Where Does the State Rank?

Maryland ranked 14th for senior health and 23rd for the health of women and children, according to the report.

The state's strengths included a low rate prevalence of smoking and children in poverty, and a high number of dentists per capita. Maryland has seen an increase in the number of teen girls immunized against HPV and a decrease in preventable hospitalizations.

The report noted the state struggles in some categories, including low birthweight and infant mortality rates. Also, drug deaths are up 30 percent in the past three years in Maryland

Here are Maryland's rankings on 63 key measures included in the report:

• Air Pollution 36
• Behaviors 8
• Binge Drinking 11
• Cancer Deaths 23
• Cardiovascular Deaths 31
• Children in Poverty 9
• Chlamydia 30
• Cholesterol Check 1
• Chronic Drinking 11
• Clinical Care 14
• Colorectal Cancer Screening 10
• Community & Environment 24
• Dental Visit, Annual 8
• Dentists 9
• Diabetes 28
• Disparity in Health Status 26
• Drug Deaths 29
• Excessive Drinking 11
• Frequent Mental Distress 14
• Frequent Physical Distress 22
• Fruits 2
• Heart Attack 9
• Heart Disease 16
• High Blood Pressure 31
• High Cholesterol 18
• High Health Status 9
• High School Graduation 16
• Immunization HPV female 23
• Immunization HPV male 18
• Immunization Meningococcal 14
• Immunization Tdap 31
• Immunizations - Adolescents 16
• Immunizations - Children 8
• Income Disparity 12
• Infant Mortality 35
• Infectious Disease 19
• Injury Deaths 9
• Insufficient Sleep 47
• Lack of Health Insurance 10
• Low Birthweight 36
• Median Household Income 3
• Obesity 20
• Occupational Fatalities 20
• Personal Income, Per Capita 5
• Pertussis 6
• Physical Inactivity 17
• Policy 10
• Poor Mental Health Days 11
• Poor Physical Health Days 13
• Premature Death 23
• Preventable Hospitalizations 18
• Primary Care Physicians 8
• Public Health Funding 19
• Salmonella 31
• Seat Belt Use 8
• Smoking 10
• Smoking Rate of Change
• Stroke 23
• Suicide 4
• Underemployment Rate 18
• Unemployment Rate, Annual 25
• Vegetables 23
• Violent Crime 39
• Water Fluoridation 5

National Cause for Concern

Noting health gains in other categories, report authors are concerned about rising rates in some key areas.

For the first time, the report found the cardiovascular death rate has increased in the past year, from 250.8 to 251.7 deaths per 100,000. Drug deaths increased by 4 percent in the past year, and the premature death rate increased for the second year in a row.

Since the rankings were first released in 1990, the prevalence of obesity among adults has increased by 157 percent, according to report authors.

“We have made important strides across the country against public health challenges; however, we are at a crossroads between a healthier future as a nation and a future in which troubling public health measurements become increasingly common,” said Dr. Reed Tuckson, external senior medical adviser to United Health Foundation. “This data provides a roadmap for states, local communities and the public health sector to work together to get ahead of the challenges coming.”

Image via Shutterstock