AZ Snapshot: Arizona's national rank for our physical health
Posted on November 30, 2016 • Category: Well-Being
8th
Arizona’s national rank for the PHYSICAL HEALTH that Arizonans report, one of 5 elements measured by the Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index.
STATE OF AMERICAN WELL-BEING: 2015 State Rankings
Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index, January 27, 2016
WHY IT MATTERS
In the Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index, physical health includes a broad set of behaviors and consequences that impact both our personal lives and the health of our communities. Poor health is expensive. It directly affects the cost of healthcare as well as the nation’s productivity, prosperity and overall quality of life.
THE ARIZONA WE HAVE
Physical health is one of 5 elements that make up the Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index, the most comprehensive set of indicators available that describe how people feel about the quality of their lives. Arizona ranks 8th in the nation on this element.
OVERALL ARIZONA INDEX RANKINGS >
How Significant is Geography to Well-Being?
Eight of the top 10 states measured by the Well-Being Index are Western states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Texas and New Mexico are among the top 20. Six of the bottom 10 are Southern states. No Western states are in this group.
While Arizona ranks 8th in the nation overall for the physical health that Arizonans report, the state’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) have higher heart attack rates among the 190 communities measured. One reason is that while Arizona is growing younger, it is also growing older.
- Tucson ranks 68th among the nation’s MSAs.
- Metro Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale ranks 80th.
- Prescott ranks 166th.
- Lake Havasu City-Kingman ranks 185th, among the nation’s bottom 10.
How Significant is Education to Well-Being?
The level of education achieved by Arizona residents has an impact on their physical health that varies from measure to measure.
- Cigarette Use, Depression, Diabetes, Obesity – Use and incidence decrease with education but to varying degrees.
- Heart Attack, High Blood Pressure – Level of education is not a significant indicator.
| MSAs | The Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index also measures the incidence of residents who have survived a heart attack in the 190 communities nationwide that are designated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). STATE OF AMERICAN WELL-BEING: 2015 Community Rankings for Incidence of Heart Attack Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index, Oct. 25, 2016 |
