The rankings released today come from a yearly analysis done by the Minneapolis-based United Health Foundation on the relative healthiness of the American population. The foundation joins the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention each year to issue the report. Last year, Hawai'i had dipped to 14th.

According to the report, Hawai'i ranks No. 1 in having a low risk for heart disease, a low rate of deaths from heart disease, a low rate of cancer deaths, a low total mortality rate and a low number of limited activity days each month. Other strengths include a low prevalence of smoking, a low violent crime rate, a low rate of people who lack health insurance and a low premature death rate.

The report lists as challenges in the state: a low high school graduation rate, moderate incidence of infectious disease, a higher-than-average occupational fatalities rate and a higher-than-average infant mortality rate.

This year’s analysis also indicates that health disparities within the state are among the lowest in the country for both access to adequate prenatal care and premature death rates.

The report charted the rate of motor vehicle deaths as declining from 1.6 to 1.3 deaths per 100,000,000 miles driven, support for public health care increasing from 21 percent below the average state to 5 percent above average and the infant mortality rate decreasing from 7.6 to 7.2 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Data for the rankings comes from sources that include the federal Department of Health and Human Services, National Safety Council, U.S. Department of Educations and the U.S. Department of Labor.

Since 1990, the report noted, access to adequate prenatal care increased from 65.8 percent to 75.5 percent of pregnant women receiving adequate prenatal care, and the high school graduation rate dropped from 84.5 percent to 61.0 percent of incoming ninth-graders who graduate within four years. Declines in the infant mortality rate since 1990 have been slower than in other states.

This year, Minnesota and New Hampshire are tied for No. 1, followed by Utah, Vermont and Massachusetts. Trailing the whole ranking for least healthy states are Tennessee, Arkansas, South Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi (ranked 46 through 50).

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