WEST VIRGINIA (WOAY) – The United Health Foundation has released a new report on America’s health rankings.
The annual report looks at major health factors affecting each state and ranks them accordingly. The report found some good things for West Virginia, such as low rates for excessive drinking and STDs.
It also found some areas in need of improvement, and according to the Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer with United Healthcare Dr. Rhonda Randall, the report is meant to show people where improvements can be made.
“This report is meant to be a call to action. A call to action for individuals in their communities, for public health officials and policy makers. There’s a lot of really good information in this report and it’s meant to be informative,” Randall said.
Some areas in need of improvement for West Virginia in the report were a high rate of adults who smoke, and a high rate of residents with multiple chronic conditions.
In West Virginia, the 2020 Annual Report finds:
- Adults who avoided care due to cost decreased 32% between 2011 and 2019 from 19.8% to 13.4%
- Teen births decreased 37% between 2013 and 2018 from 40.2 to 25.4 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19
- Excessive drinking increased 28% between 2014 and 2019 from 10.3% to 13.2% of adults
- Frequent mental distress increased 37% between 2013 and 2019 from 15.0% to 20.6% of adults
The full report can be viewed on the America’s Health Rankings website.
