A national rating organization has praised Pennsylvania for its low rate of uninsured, high rate of high school graduation, and low percentage of children in poverty, but still ranks Pennsylvania in the bottom half of all states when it comes to overall healthiness.
America’s Health Rankings ® places the Keystone State at number 27, up one spot from its 2009 study.
So, what is pulling Pennsylvania to the lower half? The report suggests Pennsylvania is challenged by high levels of air pollution (48th), low per capita public health funding (39th), and low immunization coverage (38th). Not helping matters were smoking (35th), binge drinking (33rd), and obesity (29th).
Several outcomes such as cancer deaths (37th), infant mortality (36th), and cardiovascular deaths (34th) were also low.
For 21 years, America’s Health Rankings® has been analyzing national health on a state-by-state basis by evaluating historical and comprehensive health, environmental, and socio-economic data to determine national health benchmarks and state rankings.
With the help of The Patient Poll, PAMED's Institute for Good Medicine studies health issues specific to Pennsylvania and then develops public awareness campaigns on those topics.
Find additional resources from PAMED, including public health awareness campaigns, at the PAMED patient website www.myfamilywellness.org.