Health Insurance and Healthy Living in Ohio
Ohio has slipped a bit in the ranking of the health of its residents. In 2007 Ohio was the 29th healthiest state in which to live, but it fell slightly from 2006 when it was the 24th healthiest state. Based on 20 different criteria, Ohio made it to the top ten only in one category. Ohio is 8th in the nation for the percentage of citizens that are covered by health insurance.
Other areas where Ohio shines include a high percentage of women receiving prenatal care, a solid high school graduation rate, a significant decrease in the rate of infectious disease, and a drop in the death rate from cardiovascular disease.
All these great strides and still a fall in the overall rankings, means Ohio still struggles in some areas. Ohio ranks 43rd for cancer deaths, 43rd for obesity, 41st for infant mortality rates, and 40th in the nation for preventable hospitalizations.
Weight gain is an epidemic nationwide with Ohio at the forefront. In 1990 the obesity rate was 11% amongst Ohio residents. By 2000 the obesity rate had almost doubled to over 20% of Ohio’s population. The current number of obese Ohio citizens is over 28 percent. Read the rest of this entry »
