Least Healthy States

Nurses Activism

Published

These are rank ordered from 41-50. (50 is least healthy).

http://www.morganquitno.com/hcrank07.htm

Oklahoma

Arizona

Texas

Georgia

South Carolina

Florida

Nevada

Mississippi

New Mexico

Louisiana

Factors negatively affecting health.

Births of Low Birthweight as a Percent of All Births -

Teenage Birth Rate ( -

Percent of Mothers Receiving Late or No Prenatal Care -

Age-Adjusted Death Rate -

Infant Mortality Rate -

Age-Adjusted Death Rate by Malignant Neoplasms -

Age-Adjusted Death Rate by Suicide -

Average Annual Family Coverage Health Insurance Premium -

Percent of Population Not Covered by Health Insurance -

Percent of Children Not Covered by Health Insurance -

Estimated Rate of New Cancer Cases -

AIDS Rate -

Sexually Transmitted Disease Rate -

Percent of Population Lacking Access to Primary Care -

Percent of Adults Who Are Binge Drinkers -

Percent of Adults Who Smoke -

Percent of Adults Obese -

Percent of Adults Who Do Not Exercise -

http://www.morganquitno.com/hc07fact.htm

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It is interesting to note that 7-8 of the bottom 10 are in the south. I just wonder what the opposition to universal healthcare is in these areas? Or better yet what changes do these states have in mind to better serve their

citizens?

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It's also interesting to note that they also vote Republican.

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It is an interesting point. Most of these are in the south. Most of the healthiest states posted a couple of days ago were in northern, except for Hawaii, if I recall.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Do you suppose it's because the South has a greater percentage of elderly and homeless?

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my state alabama is 40!! i do know this and i have no idea how this might play in. i had a friend a few years ago i had a friend who's daughter was pregnant and on medicaid and her level of care was horrible!!! even through delivery it sucked. at the hospital the nurses treated her differently than the ones not on medicaid and this was witnessed by myself and family. i did say something about it, i do not think anything was done. after the birth i do not think the doctor came the whole 24 hours before she was discharged. i was mortified at this. she went home not knowing a thing, myself and her mother had to teach her how to care for the babies umbilical cord and other things. i did write a letter to medicaid, i received no response.

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Do you suppose it's because the South has a greater percentage of elderly and homeless?

:yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat:

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Specializes in Too many to list.
Do you suppose it's because the South has a greater percentage of elderly and homeless?

I could believe that SOME of these states may be a magnet for the elderly and homeless, but OK, GA, SC, MS, LA, NV would be more difficult to understand.

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Specializes in Pediatrics (Burn ICU, CVICU).
I could believe that SOME of these states may be a magnet for the elderly and homeless, but OK, GA, SC, MS, LA, NV would be more difficult to understand.

Georgia (especially in the Atlanta Metro area) has an extremely large homeless population, Oklahoma is not really considered a southern state, it is Midwest, but it is a poor state. Nevada, well that's a NW state, but look at the casinos, gambling, prostitution. No wonder as to why it is an unhealthy state.

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Do you suppose it's because the South has a greater percentage of elderly and homeless?

No my state West Virginia ranked 25 or 26 and we have the highest percentage of elderly people in the nation, we also have a high unemployment rate.

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Specializes in Rotor EMS, Ped's ICU, CT-ICU,.
It is interesting to note that 7-8 of the bottom 10 are in the south. I just wonder what the opposition to universal healthcare is in these areas? Or better yet what changes do these states have in mind to better serve their

citizens?

How is Universal health care going to change:

1. Births of Low Birthweight as a Percent of All Births -

2. Teenage Birth Rate ( -

3. Age-Adjusted Death Rate

4. Infant Mortality Rate

5. Age-Adjusted Death Rate by Malignant Neoplasms

6. Age-Adjusted Death Rate by Suicide

7. Estimated Rate of New Cancer Cases

8. AIDS Rate

9. Sexually Transmitted Disease Rate

10. Percent of Adults Who Are Binge Drinkers

11. Percent of Adults Who Smoke

12. Percent of Adults Obese

13. Percent of Adults Who Do Not Exercise

14. Beds in Community Hospitals per 100,000 Population

15. Safety Belt Usage Rate?

There "might" be some indirect insurance impacts for items like low birthwt, age-adjusted death rate, and STD's, but these are all MORE likely to be improved with behavior modifications than gov't interference. The rest are speculative, and some may actually be worsened in our society with universal coverage...i.e. people won't be motivated to now use their seatbelts (in spite of widespread laws), or lose wt, or stop smoking and binge-drinking, or having unprotected sex (resulting in teen-pregnancies (how is that a reflection of an insurance problem) and STD's, and engaging in behaviors that result in LBW infants or stop killing themselves.

STD's are on the rise in Europe; can I speculate that this is a failure of their socialized system? Same with the increasing AIDS rate in Europe?

I noticed the political comment, but one must be honest and recognize that the majority of these social factors which were errantly directed to make a case for socialized health care occur statistically more often in social and cultural groups that are not Republican.

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The data shows what it shows. The positive correlation is striking between progressive taxation, committment to health insurance for all, and education for all in the achievement of better health and economic outcomes for people living in the healthiest states. The states with the worst health outcomes have in effect failed to build functional social contracts that deliver equitable benefits of life in a free society. (Not equal results but equity.) At some level we are all in society together and need to work together to achieve broad based prosperity.

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