Utah grabs second spot in nation-wide health rankings

Keith Shuflit, Park City Point 2 Point Mountain Bike Race. Photo: TownLift // Randi Sidman-Moore

UTAH — Boasting five national parks, 43 state parks, 20,000 miles of recorded trails, and nationally ranked medical centers, it’s no wonder that Utah has secured a top spot in the Forbes Advisor comprehensive health assessment. In the assessment, 50 states were compared across 21 metrics spanning three categories: disease risk factors and prevalence, substance abuse, and lifestyle habits and health outlook. The results positioned Utah as the second healthiest state in the nation.

The assessment aimed to identify states with both the healthiest and least healthy populations, taking into account high rates of chronic disease, substance abuse, and unhealthy lifestyle habits. Utah’s score (lowest is better) of 11.34 out of 100 points places it closely behind Hawaii, who’s score was 0, showcasing its success in fostering a healthy environment for its residents.

Utah’s performance in mitigating substance abuse stands out, with the state securing the fourth lowest percentage of adults identified as heavy drinkers (5%) and the fourth lowest number of adults reporting illicit drug use in the past month (8,075.01 per 100,000 state residents).

Utah’s rating in lifestyle habits and health outlook ranked it sixth nationally in this category. The state proudly claims the lowest percentage of adults who smoke (6.7%) and takes the second spot for adults least likely to report a lack of exercise in the past month (16.9%).

Delving into disease risk factors, Utah emerges as the seventh healthiest state, showcasing notable achievements such as the lowest cancer mortality rate (119.23 deaths per 100,000 state residents), the second lowest percentage of adults with high blood pressure (26.6%), the fourth lowest percentage of adults with high cholesterol (31.6%), and the sixth lowest chronic liver disease mortality rate (10.23 deaths per 100,000 state residents).

Who ranked the least healthiest state? West Virginia ranked worst of all the states with 100 / 100 points. Mississippi is not far behind with a ranking of 96.04 points.  For residents in states with less favorable health rankings, Forbes Advisor urges proactive measures to improve health, emphasizing lifestyle changes and the utilization of preventive care.