Colorado slipped significantly down one of the few long-term rankings of overall health this year, falling behind in immunizations, rural care and alcohol abuse.
The list puts Colorado at 13th in a melding of public health factors and outcomes, down from eighth last year. The rankings by the American Public Health Association, prevention groups and United Health’s foundation measure everything from government spending to rates of cancer and heart attacks.
Colorado lags some other Western states, including Utah, at seventh on the national list, Idaho at ninth and Washington state at 11th.
Overall, Vermont topped the charts with low obesity, high public health spending and top vaccination rates. Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut followed, in order.
The 20-year study points to a couple of troubling areas for Colorado, said United Health’s senior medical director in Colorado, Dr. Chris Stanley. Immunization coverage for the youngest children in the state dropped from 92 percent to 85 percent. Some ideological and geographic pockets of the state appear to be resisting the need for and the safety of vaccines, he said.
“That’s 7 percent more kids at risk for getting life-threatening illnesses,” Stanley said.
Colorado still leads the thin-and-fit charts, but that’s the best of a bad bunch, Stanley said. Even with its healthy lifestyles, he noted, Colorado’s obesity rate approaches 19 percent of the population.
The state also performed badly in binge drinking measures, and in the gap between rural health outcomes and better care in urban areas.
Michael Booth: 303-954-1686 or mbooth@denverpost.com
