Ranking: 
Louisiana is 50th this year; it was 49th in 2007.

Strengths:
Strengths include a low prevalence of binge drinking at 13.3 percent of the population, strong public health funding at $95 per person and few poor mental health days per month at 3.0 days in the previous 30 days.

Challenges:
Challenges include a high rate of uninsured population at 20.2 percent, a high percentage of children in poverty at 22.7 percent of persons under age 18, a high rate of preventable hospitalizations with 111.9 discharges per 1,000 Medicare enrollees, a high infant mortality rate at 10.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, a high premature death rate with 11,125 years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population, and a high rate of cancer deaths at 223.8 deaths per 100,000 population. 

Significant Changes:
↓ In the past year, the high school graduation rate decreased from 69.4 percent to 63.9 percent of incoming ninth graders who graduate within four years.
↑ In the past year, public health funding increased from $69 to $95 per person.
↑ In the past year, access to primary care increased from 113.5 to 119.4 primary care physicians per 100,000 population.
↑ Since 1990, the prevalence of obesity increased from 12.3 percent to 30.7 percent of the population.

Health Disparities:
In Louisiana, low birth weight babies are more common among non-Hispanic blacks at 15.3 percent than non-Hispanic whites at 8.1 percent.  Cardiovascular death rates vary by race in the state, with all races experiencing 349.2 deaths per 100,000 population in contrast to blacks who experience 422.6 deaths per 100,000 population.

Louisiana
	2008		2007		2003		1990
DETERMINANTS - Personal Behaviors	Value	Rank	Value	Rank	Value	Rank	Value	Rank
Prevalence of Smoking (Percent of population)	22.6	41	23.4	43	23.9	32	29.1	22
Prevalence of Binge Drinking (Percent of population	13.3	13	13.6	15	13.7*	15	---	---
Prevalence of Obesity (Percent of population)	30.7↑	47	27.1	38	25.5	45	12.3	33
DETERMINANTS - Community & Environment
High School Graduation (Percent of incoming ninth graders)	63.9↓	46	69.4	39	58.5*	43*	61.6*	50
Violent Crime (Offenses per 100,000 population)	730	47	698	46	687	45	693	43
Occupational Fatalities (Deaths per 100,000 workers)	8.5	42	8.4	41	6.9	39	11.8*	37
Infectious Disease (Cases per 100,000 population)	27.1	46	28.3	45	32.8	44	31.4	26
Children in Poverty (Percent of persons under age 18)	22.7↓	47	23.8	48	23.1	46	38.5	49
Air Pollution (Micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter)	13.6	35	13.6	35	12.7	27	---	---
DETERMINANTS - Public & Health Policies
Lack of Health Insurance (Percent without health insurance)	20.2	47	19.8	46	18.0	47	22.7	48
Public Health Funding (Dollars per person)	$ 95↑	15	$69	26	---	---	---	---
Immunization Coverage (Percent of children ages 19 to 35 months)	77.7↑	39	72.3	49	66.8	45	---	---
DETERMINANTS - Clinical Care
Adequacy of Prenatal Care (Percent of pregnant women)	81.7%**	---	82.8	6	78.38*	20	67*	34
Primary Care Physicians (Number per 100,000 population)	119.4↑	20	113.5	26	---	---	---	---
Preventable Hospitalizations (Number per 1,000 Medicare enrollees)	111.9	48	111.9	48	115.6	48	---	---
All Determinants	-12.9	50	-14.3	50	-9.6	48	-10.1	49
HEALTH OUTCOMES
Poor Mental Health Days (Days in previous 30 days)	3.0	8	3.2	18	2.8	10	---	---
Poor Physical Health Days (Days in previous 30 days)	3.6	30	3.3	17	3.0	16	---	---
Geographic Disparity (Relative standard deviation)	9.6%	19	9.2%	15	---	---	---	---
Infant Mortality (Deaths per 1,000 live births)	10.3	49	9.9	49	9.4	47	11.8	45
Cardiovascular Deaths (Deaths per 100,000 population)	349.2	45	354.1	43	378.0	0	446.8	46
Cancer Deaths (Deaths per 100,000 population)	223.8	49	226.9	49	230.7	48	216.0	48
Premature Death (Years lost per 100,000 population)	11,125	49	10,802	49	10,202	49	10,178	47
All Health Outcomes	-2.4	48	-4.3	43	-7.1	48	-4.1	46
OVERALL	-15.2	50	-18.6	49	-19.5	49	-14.3	50

↑ and ↓ indicate major increases and decreases in the last year. --- indicates data not available. *Data may not be comparable.
**See measure description for full details.