America's Health: State Health Rankings - 2004 Edition
Intro and Findings
  
Components
  
State Snapshots
  
Methodology
  
Commentaries and Special Features
Foreword and Introduction   Selection of Components   State by State Snapshots   Methodology   Letter from Director of The Centers for Disease Control
Measures of Success   Combined Measures:
 Risk Factors/Outcomes		   All State Summaries   Weighting of Components   The State of Infant Health: Is There Trouble Ahead
2004 Results    
Appendices
   The Obesity Epidemic: A Call to Action
Changes from 2003, 1990   Risk Factors    Occupational Fatalities   Index of Tables   Eliminating Health Disparities
Comparison to Other Nations   Outcomes    Health Disparity       Getting Involved: Your Responsibility

Florida

Florida is 42nd this year, unchanged from 2003. Its strengths are high support for public health with 10.8 percent of the state health budget allocated to public health, a low prevalence of obesity at 19.9 percent of the population, a low rate of cancer deaths at 193.5 deaths per 100,000 population and a low total mortality rate at 807.5 deaths per 100,000 population. The state continues to face several challenges, including a high violent crime rate at 770 offenses per 100,000 population, a low high school graduation rate with 55.7 percent of incoming ninth graders who graduate within four years and a high incidence of infectious disease at 43.8 cases per 100,000 population. Florida is 47th for the combined measures of risk factors and 27th for the combined measures of outcomes, indicating that Florida is unlikely to improve its relative ranking in the near future without reductions in the risk factors. Health disparities in the state are high for both access to adequate prenatal care and premature death rates. Black non-Hispanics experience 12,767 years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population compared to Hispanic individuals who experience 5,342 years lost.

In the past year, the prevalence of smoking increased from 22.0 percent to 23.9 percent of the population, the rate of motor vehicle deaths declined from 2.0 to 1.8 deaths per 100,000,000 miles driven and the rate of cancer deaths declined from 196.0 to 193.5 deaths per 100,000 population.

Since 1990, access to adequate prenatal care has increased from 62.8 percent to 80.4 percent of pregnant women receiving adequate prenatal care, the rate of motor vehicle deaths has declined from 3.1 to 1.8 deaths per 100,000,000 miles driven and the incidence of infectious disease has decreased from 47.0 to 43.8 cases per 100,000 population, a slower decline than other states.

To learn more about health and health initiatives in Florida, visit the Florida state department of health Web site at: www.doh.state.fl.us/

Florida graph Download this state report as a PDF file 		 
Rankings
Measurement Data
2004
2003
1990
2004
2003
1990
Risk Factors - Personal Behaviors
      
31
16
37
 Prevalence of Smoking (Percent of population)
23.9
22.0
31.7
35
40
43
 Motor Vehicle Deaths (Deaths per 100,000,000 miles driven)
1.8
2.0
3.1
8
12
43
 Prevalence of Obesity (Percent of population)
19.9
19.4
13.6
48
48
49
 High School Graduation (Percent of incoming ninth graders)
55.7
54.6
63.5
Risk Factors - Community Environment
      
49
50
50
 Violent Crime (Offenses per 100,000 population)
770
797
1,024
41
41
41
 Lack of Health Insurance (Percent without health insurance)
18.2
17.3
17.8
48
48
40
 Infectious Disease (Cases per 100,000 population)
43.8
45.7
47.0
39
36
44
 Children in Poverty (percent of persons under age 18)
19.2
18.8
25.4
22
23
30
 Occupational Fatalities (Deaths per 100,000 workers)
5.1
5.2
10.7*
Risk Factors - Health Policies
      
6
3
-
 Percent of Health Dollars for Public Health (Percent of health exp.)
10.8
10.8
-
21
9
-
 Per Capita Public Health Spending ($ per person)
$66
$67
-
16
19
42
 Adequacy of Prenatal Care (Percent of pregnant women)
80.4
78.8
62.8
Outcomes
      
31
27
40
 Limited Activity Days (Days in last 30 days)
2.2
2.0
5.4*
19
17
11
 Cardiovascular Deaths (Deaths per 100,000 population)
309.8
314.6
365.5
9
13
19
 Cancer Deaths (Deaths per 100,000 population)
193.5
196.0
193.6
11
13
11
 Total Mortality (Deaths per 100,000 population)
807.5
812.9
827.5
33
27
37
 Infant Mortality (Deaths per 1,000 live births)
7.5
7.1
10.8
33
34
39
 Premature Death (Years lost per 100,000 population)
8,023
8,121
9,190
42
42
48
Overall
-8.4
-10.7
-11.6

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