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Ranking:        
New Mexico is 29th this year; it was 38th in 2007.

Strengths:
Strengths include strong public health funding at $132 per person, low levels of air pollution at 7.2 micrograms of fine particulate per cubic meter, a low prevalence of binge drinking at 12.7 percent of the population, a low rate of cancer deaths at 172.5 deaths per 100,000 population and a low rate of deaths from cardiovascular disease at 247.9 deaths per 100,000 population.

Challenges:
Challenges include a high rate of uninsured population at 22.7 percent, a low high school graduation rate with 65.4 percent of incoming ninth graders who graduate within four years, a high violent crime rate at 664 offenses per 100,000 population and a high premature death rate with 8,435 years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population.  New Mexico ranks lower for health determinants than for health outcomes, indicating that overall healthiness may decline over time.

Significant Changes:
↓ In the past year, the incidence of infectious disease declined from 12.9 to 10.1 cases per 100,000 population.
↓ In the past year, the percentage of children in poverty decreased from 23.2 percent to 18.1 percent of persons under age 18.
↑ Since 1990, the prevalence of obesity increased from 9.8 percent to 25.1 percent of the population.
↓ Since 1990, the infant mortality rate declined from 8.8 to 5.8 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Health Disparities:
In New Mexico, low birth weight babies are more common among non-Hispanic blacks at 15.0 percent than Hispanics at 8.5 percent.   Access to health care varies significantly by race and ethnicity in the state; 35.2 percent of Hispanics lack health insurance compared to 15.7 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

State Health Department Web Site:        www.health.state.nm.us
   
New Mexico
2008
2007
2003
1990
DETERMINANTS - Personal Behaviors
Value
Rank
Value
Rank
Value
Rank
Value
Rank
Prevalence of Smoking (Percent of population)
20.8
31
20.1
25
21.2
10
28.5
15
Prevalence of Binge Drinking (Percent of population
12.7
10
11.8
9
15.1*
21
---
---
Prevalence of Obesity (Percent of population)
25.1↑
14
22.9
11
19.8
16
9.8
6
DETERMINANTS - Community & Environment
High School Graduation (Percent of incoming ninth graders)
65.4
42
67.0
41
61*
40*
73.2*
34
Violent Crime (Offenses per 100,000 population)
664
44
643
42
781
48
628
40
Occupational Fatalities (Deaths per 100,000 workers)
6.9↓
34
9.2
43
6.3
34
11.6*
34
Infectious Disease (Cases per 100,000 population)
10.1↓
17
12.9
21
19.8
25
64.2
45
Children in Poverty (Percent of persons under age 18)
18.1↓
33
23.2
46
25.4
49
27.1
46
Air Pollution (Micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter)
7.2
2
7.5
1
7.5
1
---
---
DETERMINANTS - Public & Health Policies
Lack of Health Insurance (Percent without health insurance)
22.7↑
49
21.6
49
20.4
49
23.8
48
Public Health Funding (Dollars per person)
$ 132↑
4
$120
4
---
---
---
---
Immunization Coverage (Percent of children ages 19 to 35 months)
78.9
33
76.3
42
64.6
49
---
---
DETERMINANTS - Clinical Care
Adequacy of Prenatal Care (Percent of pregnant women)
52.1%**
---
57.5
50
56.84*
49
48.8*
50
Primary Care Physicians (Number per 100,000 population)
113.4
28
113.6
26
---
---
---
---
Preventable Hospitalizations (Number per 1,000 Medicare enrollees)
67.0
16
67.0
16
66.7
14
---
---
All Determinants
-0.4
30
-6.9
43
-8.5
46
-8.2
48
HEALTH OUTCOMES
Poor Mental Health Days (Days in previous 30 days)
3.3
27
3.3
30
2.9
12
---
---
Poor Physical Health Days (Days in previous 30 days)
3.6
30
3.9
43
2.9
10
---
---
Geographic Disparity (Relative standard deviation)
12.7%
33
13.2%
35
---
---
---
---
Infant Mortality (Deaths per 1,000 live births)
5.8
12
6.1
17
6.5
19
8.8
6
Cardiovascular Deaths (Deaths per 100,000 population)
247.9
5
251.7
3
271.1
0
314.7
1
Cancer Deaths (Deaths per 100,000 population)
172.5
4
174.6
4
172.3
4
167.6
4
Premature Death (Years lost per 100,000 population)
8,435
40
8,309
38
8,017
33
9,151
37
All Health Outcomes
2.1
23
1.0
27
1.5
21
0.3
27
OVERALL
1.7
29
-5.9
38
-7.5
40
-7.9
44

↑ 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.