PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island ranked No. 3 in the nation in overall health of women and children, or HWC, in the 2018 Health of Women and Children Report, part of America’s Health Rankings conducted by the United Health Foundation, released Monday.
Rhode Island increased six ranks year over year from No. 9 in 2016, the first iteration of the report.
In 2018, Rhode Island ranked No. 4 for its overall women and overall infants ratings, and No. 6 for its overall children rating.
The Ocean State ranked No. 1 in the nation for HWC policy and HWC clinical care. The state ranked No. 2 for HWC determinants, No. 10 for HWC outcomes, No. 22 for HWC behaviors and No. 25 for HWC community and environment in the nation.
Rhode Island’s strengths were identified as:
- High percentage of prenatal care before third trimester
- High prevalence of well-woman visits
- High immunization coverage among adolescents
The Ocean State’s challenges were identified as:
- High prevalence of overweight or obesity among children
- High neonatal mortality rate
- High drug death rate among women
Massachusetts ranked No. 1 overall in 2018, an honor it also received in 2016.
The report said the Bay State’s strengths were:
- Low percentage of uninsured women
- Low infant mortality rate
- Low teen birth rate
Massachusetts’ challenges were identified as:
- High cost of infant child care
- High prevalence of excessive drinking among women
- High prevalence of homeless family households
The report contained over 380 data points. The organization uses data from several different public and private organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Census, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Also on Monday, Rhode Island was ranked No. 21 in the nation in WalletHub’s 2018 Best & Worst States for Women. The Ocean State ranked No. 22 for women’s economic and social well-being and ranked No. 17 in the nation for women’s health and safety.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.
