South Dakota

South Dakota is 19^th this year; it was 15^th in 2003. Its strengths include a low incidence of infectious disease at 4.8 cases per 100,000 population, a low violent crime rate at 177 offenses per 100,000 population, a low total mortality rate at 756.4 deaths per 100,000 population, a high rate of high school graduation with 77.8 percent of incoming ninth graders who graduate within four years and a low number of limited activity days per month at 1.5 days in the previous 30 days. Challenges continue to include a high rate of motor vehicle deaths at 2.4 deaths per 100,000,000 miles driven, a high occupational fatalities rate at 9.9 deaths per 100,000 workers and low access to adequate prenatal care with 69.1 percent of pregnant women receiving adequate prenatal care. South Dakota is 22^nd for the combined measures of risk factors and 16^th for the combined measures of outcomes, indicating that the state's relative healthiness is unlikely to change much in future years unless risk factors are more aggressively addressed.  Health disparities within the state are also present, as only 42.1 percent of pregnant American Indian women receive adequate prenatal care compared to 75.0 percent of pregnant white women.

In the past year, the rate of motor vehicle deaths increased from 2.0 to 2.4 deaths per 100,000,000 miles driven, the prevalence of obesity increased from 21.2 percent to 22.9 percent of the population, the high school graduation rate increased from 71.9 percent to 77.8 percent of incoming ninth graders who graduate within four years and the percentage of children in poverty increased from 8.2 percent to 14.0 percent of persons under age 18.

Since 1990, the incidence of infectious disease has declined from 18.0 to 4.8 cases per 100,000 population, the infant mortality rate has decreased from 11.6 to 7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births and the violent crime rate has increased from 120 to 177 offenses per 100,000 population.

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

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