America's Health Rankings

Both reports include some health metrics that are stratified by race/ethnicity, gender, age, education, place of residence, and economic status.

State rankings are based on a methodology approved by a Scientific Advisory Committee.

This methodology balances the contributions of health determinants—including 1) Behaviors; 2) Community and Environment; 3) Policy pertaining to our health care system, government, and numerous prevention programs; and 4) Clinical Care received—and Outcomes such as diabetes and deaths from cardiovascular disease.

The Scientific Advisory Committee, currently led by Anna Schenck, PhD, MSPH, formed as a result and was charged with recommending improvements that maintain the value of the comparative, longitudinal information.

For example, the prevalence of smoking is one of the Behaviors strongly influenced by the Community and Environment, by public Policy including taxation and restrictions on smoking in public places, and by Clinical Care received to treat the chemical and behavioral addictions associated with tobacco.

This methodology weighs and balances the contributions of factors such as smoking, obesity, binge drinking, high school graduation rates, children in poverty, access to care, and incidence of preventable disease to evaluate the health of a state's population.

Determinants are actions that affect the population's future health, while Outcomes represent what has already occurred through death, disease, or missed days due to illness.

Determinants are actions that affect the population's future health, while Outcomes represent what has already occurred through death, disease, or missed days due to illness.