Oregon ranks 19th in national health report
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A state-by-state health report card, out today from the United Health Foundation, puts Oregon at No. 19 in the nation.
Why it matters: America's Health Rankings — from the United Health Foundation, established by UnitedHealth Group — synthesize 99 measures of health and well-being, drawn from 31 data sources, to produce a "comprehensive portrait of health at both the national and state levels."
Zoom in: Oregon's ranking was helped by a high prevalence of high school completion, a low rate of uninsured people and high voter participation.
- The state faces ongoing challenges with mental illness, people suffering from chronic conditions and high rates of drug use, which brought our ranking down, per the report.
Between the lines: The report finds an array of encouraging signs for America: Rates for premature death, drug deaths, firearm deaths and homicides all fell. Rates of cancer screenings, physical activity and volunteerism all increased.
- But rates of e-cigarette use and multiple chronic conditions increased. Homelessness and unemployment — socioeconomic factors that help determine the nation's health — rose.
Zoom out: Topping the rankings were New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont.
- Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana took the bottom three spots.