Every year, America’s Health Rankings, a collaborative partnership between United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association, and Partnership for Prevention, provides an annual analysis of national health on a state-by-state basis, ranking them from the most to the least healthy. Researchers analyzed 22 different health measures, which are a combination of health determinants and health outcomes, to compile the rankings. Health determinants are factors that can affect the future health of a population. Health outcomes measure what has already occurred, either through death or missed days due to illness.

This year’s top 10 healthiest states are: This year’s top 10 healthiest states are:

1. Vermont
   Vermont tops the list as the healthiest state for the second year in a row. A broad range of health initiatives has helped smoking rates decline to 17.6 percent of the population, slow the rise in obesity below the U.S. national average, and keep the number of people without health insurance low..


2. Hawaii
   Hawaii is tops in air pollution, has a low smoking rate and is tied for second for the lowest rate of obesity. On the other hand, Hawaiians have one of the highest rates of binge drinking.


3. New Hampshire
   The Granite State boasts the lowest rate of child poverty and highest immunization rate along with the third lowest rate of violent crime. However, lower than average public health funding and high numbers of poor mental health kept it from topping the list.


4. Minnesota
   Dropping down from last year’s number 2 spot, Minnesota is still tops in both cardiovascular deaths and premature deaths and also has low smoking rates. The low rate of public health spending, high binge drinking, and merely average obesity rate dragged Minnesota down this year.


5. Utah
   This Western state is tops in smoking rate at 11.7% of adults, nearly 3 percent fewer than number two finisher California. Utah is in the top ten on most parameters, however a high occupational fatality rate, high levels of uninsured people, low immunization coverage and a bottom ten finish in physicians per capita work against it.


6. Massachusetts
   Tops in occupational fatalities and health insurance coverage, Massachusetts also has low smoking and obesity rates, but high binge drinking rates and average levels of violent crime high school graduation rates and child poverty land it at number six.


7. Connecticut
   Tied for the top spot in immunization coverage, Connecticut also boasts low smoking and obesity rates. However, average levels of binge drinking and child poverty along with high rates of infectious disease and low public health funding keep Connecticut from climbing higher on the list.


8. Idaho
   Low rates of violent crime, infectious disease, and air pollution along with better than average rates of smoking, obesity, binge drinking, and high school graduation rates temper Idaho’s 45^th place ranking in immunization coverage and dead last finish in physicians per capita.


9. Maine
   The fourth state from the Northeast to make the top 10, Maine has the lowest violent crime rate of any state and also boasts low rates of infectious disease and good insurance coverage. Below average rankings on smoking and binge drinking rates as well as poor immunization coverage and high cancer deaths keep Maine below its Northeastern brethren on the list.


10. Washington
    This West Coast state is tops in infant mortality and boasts a top six finish in smoking rates, child poverty, preventable hospitalizations, and occupational fatalities, but the state also ranks 48^th in immunization coverage and ranks below average in poor physical health days and geographical disparity (differences in of mortality rate among counties).

_{Source: America’s Health Rankings, 2008. http://www.americashealthrankings.org/2008/}

_{Photo: Paraflyer, Flickr, Creative Commons}