Indiana

Indiana is tied with Delaware for 32^nd this year; it was 27^th in 2003. The state's strengths continue to include a low rate of motor vehicle deaths at 1.1 deaths per 100,000,000 miles driven, a low incidence of infectious disease at 11.9 cases per 100,000 population and a low percentage of children in poverty at 13.7 percent of persons under age 18. Indiana's challenges include a high prevalence of smoking at 26.1 percent of the population, a high prevalence of obesity at 26.0 percent of the population and a high rate of cancer deaths at 220.3 deaths per 100,000 population. Health disparities within the state are large. Non-Hispanic black individuals experience almost twice as many years of potential life lost as non-Hispanic white individuals. Pregnant black women also have much lower access to adequate prenatal care, with only 59.6 percent receiving adequate prenatal care compared to 76.3 percent of pregnant white women. The state is 23^rd for the combined measures of risk factors and 39^th for the combined measures of outcomes, implying the state is on a positive course and may be able to improve its relative healthiness in future years.

In the past year, the occupational fatalities rate decreased from 6.4 to 5.9 deaths per 100,000 workers, the percentage of children in poverty increased from 11.3 percent to 13.7 percent of persons under age 18 and the number of limited activity days per month increased from 1.7 to 2.2 days in the previous 30 days.

Since 1990, the rate of motor vehicle deaths has decreased from 2.5 to 1.1 deaths per 100,000,000 miles driven, the percentage of children in poverty has declined from 20.8 to 13.7 percent of persons under age 18 and the total mortality rate has increased from 909.1 to 927.5 deaths per 100,000 population.

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

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