It was a healthier 2019 for Virginia and Maryland, at least according to United Health Foundation’s annual America’s Health rankings.
Virginia ranks as the 15th-healthiest state in the 2019 rankings, up from No. 20 on the previous annual ranking. Maryland ranks as the 18th-healthiest state, up from No. 19.
The annual rankings are based on a wide range of 30 criteria in four categories: behaviors, community and environment, clinical care and health policy.
Behaviors that were scored included smoking, excessive drinking, physical inactivity and obesity. Community and environment considered pollution, exposure to infectious diseases and occupational fatalities. The health policy score looked at immunization and public health funding, an the clinical care category noted access to primary care physicians, and outcomes such as cancer and cardiovascular deaths, diabetes and infant mortality.
Virginia’s strengths in the 2019 ranking included low violent crime, low childhood poverty and high immunization rates among children.
Virginia’s challenges, however, include too few mental health providers and low per capita public health funding.
In Virginia, United Health Foundation notes the smoking rate has decreased 29% since 2012. And since 2003, air pollution has decreased by 49%.
Maryland’s strengths include a low prevalence of excessive drinking, a low percentage of children in poverty and a low prevalence of frequent mental distress.
Maryland scores poorly due to a high drug death rate, high violent crime rate and a large difference in health status by high school education.
Excessive drinking in Maryland has declined by 26% since 2012 and smoking declined by 35% in the same time span.
The report ranks Vermont as the healthiest state and Mississippi as the least-healthy state.
The District was not ranked, but the report noted that D.C.’s strengths include a low number of people with diabetes, a physically active population and greater-than-average access to mental health providers. However, D.C. struggles with excessive drinking and too many drug-related deaths and violent crimes. In the last 10 years, infant mortality decreased significantly, but in the most recent three years, there were over 100% more drug-related deaths.
