Alaska

Alaska is 24^th this year; it was 38^th in 2003. Overall, Alaska has steadily improved its ranking since 1990.  Strengths include strong support for public health with 34.5 percent of the state health budget allocated to public health, a low percentage of children in poverty at 11.2 percent of persons under age 18 and a low rate of deaths from cardiovascular disease at 289.4 deaths per 100,000 population.  Alaska's challenges include a high prevalence of smoking at 26.2 percent of the population, a high rate of uninsured population at 18.9 percent and low access to adequate prenatal care with 68.0 percent of pregnant women receiving adequate prenatal care. The state is 33^rd for the combined measures of risk factors and 15^th for the combined measures of outcomes, an improvement in both since 2003. Health disparities within the state are high, as shown by access to adequate prenatal care - this varies from 46.6 percent of pregnant American Indian women to 76.4 percent of pregnant white women who receive adequate prenatal care.

In the past year, the percentage of children in poverty declined from 12.5 percent to 11.2 percent of persons under age 18, the prevalence of smoking decreased from 29.3 percent to 26.2 percent of the population, the infant mortality rate declined from 7.5 to 5.9 deaths per 1,000 live births and the high school graduation rate decreased from 63.8 percent to 60.7 percent of incoming ninth graders who graduate within four years.

Since 1990, the total mortality rate has decreased from 876.4 to 799.4 deaths per 100,000 population, the infant mortality rate has decreased from 10.6 to 5.9 deaths per 1,000 live births and the percentage of children in poverty has declined from 16.6 percent to 11.2 percent of persons under age 18.  Also, the violent crime rate has increased from 455 to 563 offenses per 100,000 population, despite a decline in violent crime rates nationally.

To learn more about health and health initiatives in Alaska, visit the Alaska state department of health Web site at: health.hss.state.ak.us/

A dash (--) indicates data not available.
* Data sources and/or methdology may not be comparable for this year.