National Report Shows Health of Kansans Improving Significantly

The overall health of Kansans improved significantly in the past year, according to a report released this week by the United Health Foundation, together with the American Public Health Association (APHA) and Partnership for Prevention. The 15 th annual America's Health: State Health Rankings was released at the APHA's Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Kansas moved up to 16 th in the nation this year, from 20 th in 2003, according to the report. Kansas's strengths include prevalence of smoking, which is at 20.4 percent of the population, down from 22.1 percent in 2003, and significantly down from 30.2 percent in 1990. In addition, Kansas has a high rating for access to adequate prenatal care (81 percent of pregnant women receive adequate prenatal care). The report also shows Kansas has a low incidence of infectious disease at 10.4 cases per 100,000 population. Kansas has also seen a decrease in infant mortality to 7.0 deaths per 100,000 population which represents a 24 percent improvement since 1990, and is despite a nationwide trend upward.

According to the report, Kansas also has a low number of limited activity days per month at 1.4 days in the previous 30 days. This indicates the number of days, in the previous 30, when a person indicates their activities are limited due to physical or mental difficulties. This is a general indication of the population's ability to function on a day-to-day basis.

"I am very pleased to see the improvements in this report and am encouraged by it, but I also realize there is much work to do to improve the state of our health," said Roderick L. Bremby, Secretary of Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). "Prevalence of obesity remains a concern in our state as does the number of children in poverty who need health assistance, and the lack of affordable insurance for hard working Kansans, all of which are priorities for Governor Sebelius and her cabinet team."

The report shows 22.6 percent of the Kansas population has a prevalence of obesity, the lack of health insurance is rising, and more children are in poverty than in previous years.

Nationally, this year's report reveals a 17.5 percent improvement in America's overall health during the past 15 years, with all 50 states showing positive change. However, the report also shows that the rate of improvement is slowing significantly due to a combination of personal, community and public health issues.

About America's Health: State Health Rankings

America's Health: State Health Rankings is a comprehensive, multi-dimensional, yearly analysis of the relative healthiness of the American population using information supplied by credible sources such as the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Labor and the National Safety Council.

The report utilizes 18 measures that include prevalence of smoking, high school graduation rates, infant mortality rates, premature death and per capita public health spending to produce a composite assessment of each state's health. Ultimately, these measures reflect three essential contributors to healthiness: the decisions made by individuals that promote health and prevent disease; the community environment that affects the health of individuals and families; and the health policies made by public and elected officials that determine the availability of public health and medical-care resources.

For more information about our nation's health or to download the report and accompanying media materials, please visit www.unitedhealthfoundation.org.

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