Hawai'i ranked 10th healthiest

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer

Hawai'i made it back to the list of the 10 healthiest states to live in — ranked No. 10 in an annual report released yesterday by a nonprofit foundation — with a boost from low death rates from heart disease, cancer, smoking and violent crime.

The rankings 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.

Deputy state health director Jane Kadohiro said officials are happy to see the rating improve and credit the use of tobacco settlement money to help prevent illnesses and encourage healthy lifestyles. "We have some of the lowest smoking rates in the country," she said.

Kadohiro said the higher infectious disease prevalence is largely because of the state's immigrant population from Asia and the Pacific.

And she questioned whether other areas where Hawai'i scored lower are a result of the ripple effect of illegal drug use, especially crystal methamphetamine.

Specifically, Kadohiro pointed to infant mortality and accidents on the job. "It could very much be related to our high drug use," she said.

Kadohiro said the health rankings show a mixed track record for residents. For example, the state has a higher-than-average rate of sexually transmitted diseases.

"The good news is we still have the longest longevity," she said.

High school graduation data were taken from the National Center for Education Statistics, which measured the percentage of ninth-graders who graduate within four years and are considered regular graduates by the state. By that measure, only 61 percent met the goal, the report said.

Census data from 2000 showed that more than 91 percent of the state's population has graduated from high school.

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 deaths last year to 1.3 deaths this year per 100 million miles driven, and the infant mortality rate decreasing from 7.6 deaths last year to 7.2 deaths this year per 1,000 live births.

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

Since 1990, the report noted, the percentage of pregnant women receiving adequate prenatal care increased from 65.8 percent to 75.5 percent.

The healthiest states this year were Minnesota and New Hampshire, tied for No. 1, followed by Utah, Vermont and Massachusetts. The least healthy states are Tennessee, Arkansas, South Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi (ranked 46 through 50).