California

California is 22^nd this year, unchanged from 2003. Since 1990, California has steadily improved its ranking, rising from 33^rd. Its strengths continue to include a low prevalence of smoking at 16.8 percent of the population, a low infant mortality rate at 5.0 deaths per 1,000 live births and a low rate of cancer deaths at 193.2 deaths per 100,000 population. California's challenges include a high violent crime rate at 593 offenses per 100,000 population, a high incidence of infectious disease at 28.2 cases per 100,000 population and a high rate of uninsured population at 18.4 percent. The state is 31^st for the combined measures of risk factors and 14^th for the combined measures of outcomes, possibly indicating that the relative health of California may slightly decline in the future if the risk factors are not addressed. Health disparities within California are evident, as shown by two to three times more years of potential life lost before age 75 for non-Hispanic black individuals compared to all other groups.

In the past year, the prevalence of obesity increased from 19.2 percent to 23.2 percent of the population, and access to adequate prenatal care increased from 79.9 percent to 81.0 percent of pregnant women receiving adequate prenatal care.

Since 1990, the premature death rate has decreased from 8,453 to 6,470 years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population, the rate of cancer deaths has decreased from 202.6 to 193.2 deaths per 100,000 population and the prevalence of obesity has increased from 9.8 percent to 23.2 percent of the population.

To learn more about health and health initiatives in California, visit the California state department of health Web site at: www.dhs.ca.gov/

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