For women and children, Minnesota is the healthiest state in the nation while Louisiana is the least healthy, according to the "2022 Health of Women and Children Report" from the United Health Foundation.
The report was released Oct. 12 and ranked the states using 84 measures across five categories of health: social and economic factors, physical environment, behaviors, clinical care, and health outcomes.
Minnesota is the healthiest state in 2022 in part because it has a high percentage of positive youth outcomes, infants that are exclusively breastfed for six months and female college graduates. The state faces challenges with a high excessive drinking rate among women, low prevalence of youth dental care and large economic disparities between Native American and white children.
Louisiana is the unhealthiest state in 2022 in part because it has a high infant mortality rate, a low percentage of female college graduates and low rates of food sufficiency among children. The state succeeds in having a low prevalence of drug use among children, along with high rates of attention deficit disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder treatment, and a high prevalence of female-focused care.
State ranking:
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- New Jersey
- Utah
- Connecticut
- New Hampshire
- Hawaii
- Maryland
- Washington
- Colorado
- Nebraska
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
- North Dakota
- Maine
- California
- Iowa
- Oregon
- Illinois
- New York
- Wisconsin
- Idaho
- Delaware
- Pennsylvania
- Kansas
- Florida
- South Dakota
- Montana
- North Carolina
- Alaska
- Wyoming
- Michigan
- Texas
- Arizona
- Georgia
- Missouri
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Tennessee
- Nevada
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- New Mexico
- West Virginia
- Alabama
- Oklahoma
- Mississippi
- Arkansas
- Louisiana