Kentucky shows little improvement in America’s Health Rankings; we’re getting less exercise, and diabetes has increased
By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
Kentucky again ranks near the bottom in two big health measures: 48th for health behaviors and 46th for health outcomes, according to the America’s Health Rankings report from the United Health Foundation.
America’s Health Rankings chart shows percentages of Kentuckians with each of eight major chronic conditions. |
Most of the reasons are familiar, such as a high percentage of Kentuckians with more than one chronic condition — such as diabetes, which has become more common in recent years, and cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure.
Only one state, West Virginia, has more residents with multiple chronic conditions.
But while many of the reasons for the low ranking are familiar, some of them have become worse in recent years.
America’s Health Rankings chart |
For example, in the last four years of the rankings, the percentage of Kentuckians who met the federal guidelines for physical activity — 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, plus two days a week of muscle strengthening — has declined, while the national percentage has been going up. Kentucky is now last in the nation for this metric.
Unlike previous annual reports, the 31st America’s Health Rankings does not assign states an overall ranking, citing the health challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. However, a comparative look at the overall numbers places Kentucky 44th among the states.
That’s better than the state’s two main rankings, due to other ranking categories.
The measures are in several categories. One where Kentucky did well, raking 19th, is Physical Environment, which includes a wide range of factors that influence where individuals live, work and play, and include things like air and water quality, climate change, housing and transit.
America’s Health Rankings chart, relabeled by Ky. Health News |
In Health Outcomes, Kentucky ranked 46th. Of these measures, Kentucky ranked among the bottom 10 states for nine measures, including: depression (49th), frequent mental distress (45th), drug deaths (41st), premature deaths (47th), frequent physical distress (48th), multiple chronic conditions (49th), high blood pressure (46th), high cholesterol (49th) and obesity (45th).
In the Healthy Behaviors category, Kentucky ranked 48th, which should come as no surprise since the state ranked in the bottom five states for insufficient sleep (48th), exercise (50th), fruit and vegetable consumption (50th), physical inactivity (48th), teen births (47th) and smoking (49th).