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Report: Florida Drops From 29th Healthiest State To 33rd

In the latest America's Health Rankings report, Florida comes in 33rd in the nation -- a four-place drop from 2018. Credit: AMERICA'S HEALTH RANKINGS REPORT VIDEO SCREENSHOT
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

A new report shows Florida's health ranking has dropped from 29th to 33rd, making it the second-largest drop nationally, especially in terms of terms of health behaviors, the environment, public health policies and clinical care.

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
Credit American's Health Rankings Report
/
The Florida Channel

The annual America’s Health Rankings report, sponsored by the United Health Foundation, says there has been a significant rise statewide in the rates of obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes and drug deaths.

Conversely, in the past 30 years since the report started, there has been a significant decrease in Florida when it comes to rates of smoking and violent crime.

Read the full report here

Dr. Mayrene Hernandez, United Health Care Florida's Senior Medical Officer, hopes the report can help shape public health policies specific to a state’s unique needs. 

"I think it actually behaves as a tool, where programs, state leadership, carriers such as ourselves, can actually look at this particular data and modify some of the programs that we have in place for that population within those states.”

Here in Florida, the 2019 Annual Report finds:

  • In the past year, obesity increased 8% from 28.4% to 30.7% of adults
  • In the past two years, physical inactivity decreased 10% from 29.8% to 26.8% of adults
  • In the past three years, drug deaths increased 62% from 13.2 to 21.4 deaths per 100,000 population
  • Since 2012, diabetes increased 21% from 10.4% to 12.6% of adults
  • In the past year, smoking decreased 10% from 16.1% to 14.5% of adults
  • Since 1990, violent crime decreased 62% from 1,024 to 385 offenses per 100,000 population

Copyright 2019 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7

Daylina Miller is a multimedia reporter for WUSF and Health News Florida, covering health in the Tampa Bay area and across the state.
Daylina Miller
Daylina Miller, multimedia reporter for Health News Florida, was hired to help further expand health coverage statewide.