VIRGINIA
Ranking:
Virginia is 22nd this year; it was 21st in
2006.
Strengths:
Strengths include a low prevalence of binge drinking at 13.4
percent of the population, a low percentage of children in poverty
at 13.2 percent of persons under age 18, ready access to primary
care with 123.7 primary care physicians per 100,000 population,
few poor physical health days per month at 3.2 days in the
previous 30 days and a high rate of high school graduation with
79.3 percent of incoming ninth graders who graduate within four
years. Virginia ranks higher for health determinants than for
health outcomes, indicating that overall healthiness should
improve over time.
Challenges:
Challenges include a high infant mortality rate at 7.3 deaths per
1,000 live births, a high incidence of infectious disease at 17.9
cases per 100,000 population, a high rate of deaths from
cardiovascular disease at 302.4 deaths per 100,000 population and
a high rate of cancer deaths at 201.9 deaths per 100,000
population.
Significant
Changes:
↓ In the past
year, immunization coverage declined from 85.8 percent to 81.5
percent of children ages 19 to 35 months receiving complete
immunizations.
↓ Since 2000,
the violent crime rate decreased from 326 to 282 offenses per
100,000 population.
↓ Since 1990,
the prevalence of smoking declined from 32.7 percent to 19.3
percent of the population.
↑ Since 1990,
the prevalence of obesity increased from 9.9 percent to 25.1
percent of the population.
Health
Disparities:
In Virginia,
blacks experience 63 percent more premature death than whites.
Deaths from cancer in the state are 31 percent more prevalent
among blacks than whites. Residents in non-urban areas of the
state experience 52 percent more premature death than residents in
the fringe counties of large metropolitan areas.
State
Health Department Web Site:
www.vdh.state.va.us/
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