Winter is unofficially flu season, when sniffles, runny noses and even fevers can be common.
Staying healthy, as most know, requires a balance of good sleep, exercise and eating, but maintaining that healthy balance is easier said than done.
It also turns out that where you live can have a major impact on your overall health, according to a new report from HubScore, a data and marketing platform. The report, “State of Health in America,” ranked all 50 states in order from most healthy to least healthy states, ranked one through 50.
For those living in Ohio, brace yourself: The Buckeye State ranked as the 42nd healthiest state in America, according to HubScore’s rankings.
The rankings compared all 50 states by five metrics: Mortality rates, disease prevalence, such as cancer, diabetes, depression and high cholesterol rates; citizen health, including childhood obesity rate, exercise rate, smoking rate, life expectancy, and more; healthcare quality, such as rate of primary and mental health providers; and physical environment, including air quality index, drinking water violations, toxic chemical risk, and more.
By category, Ohio ranked 25th in physical environment, 30th in healthcare quality, 41st in citizen health and in mortality rates, and 44th in disease prevalence.
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Ohio, at No. 42 overall, ranked ahead of only eight states, in descending order: Tennessee (43), Oklahoma (44), Arkansas (45), Louisiana (46), Kentucky (47), Alabama (48), West Virginia (49), and Mississippi (50).
In contrast, the 10 healthiest states are, in descending order from one to 10: Hawaii, Massachusetts, Utah, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Vermont, Washington, and Rhode Island.
Ohio’s neighboring states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan ranked 32nd and 35th, respectively, while Indiana ranked one spot ahead of Ohio at No. 41.
HubScore’s full report, “State of Health in America,” including its list of healthiest state rankings, can be found online.