Arkansas

Arkansas is 46^th this year; it was 47^th in 2003. Strengths include a relatively high rate of high school graduation with 74.2 percent of incoming ninth graders who graduate within four years, a relatively low incidence of infectious disease at 18.5 cases per 100,000 population and moderate per capita public health spending at $57 per person. Arkansas' challenges include a high percentage of children in poverty at 26.8 percent of persons under age 18, a high rate of deaths from cardiovascular disease at 379.0 deaths per 100,000 population and a high premature death rate with 9,325 years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population. Arkansas is 43^rd for the combined measures of risk factors and 45^th for the combined measures of outcomes, possibly indicating that the relative health of the population will remain at current levels in the near future. Disparities in health within the state are high, as shown in the difference in premature death rates. Non-Hispanic blacks lose 14,219 years of potential life before age 75 per 100,000 population compared to Hispanics, Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indians who lose under 4,000 years per 100,000 population.

In the last year, the prevalence of smoking decreased from 26.3 percent to 24.8 percent of the population, per capita public health spending increased from $32 to $57 per person and the infant mortality rate increased from 8.4 to 8.8 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Since 1990, access to adequate prenatal care has increased from 61.4 percent to 71.4 percent of pregnant women receiving adequate prenatal care, and the infant mortality rate has decreased from 10.3 to 8.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, a decrease that is less than the national decline in infant mortality.  The rate of cancer deaths has increased from 198.0 to 213.1 deaths per 100,000 population.

To learn more about health and health initiatives in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas state department of health Web site at: www.healthyarkansas.com/

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