Methodology

For each measure, the most recent state-level data as of November 2, 2017 is presented as the value. The score for each measure is based on the following formula:  

The z score indicates the number of standard deviations a state value is above or below the U.S. value. A 0.00 indicates a state has the same value as the U.S. States with higher values than the U.S. value have a positive score, while states that perform below the U.S. value have a negative score. To prevent an extreme score from exerting excessive influence, the maximum score for a measure is capped at +/- 2.00. If a U.S. value is not available from the original data source for a measure, the mean of all state values is used. For measures from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the median of the state values is used for the U.S. value to conform to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention methodology.

The ranking of each measure is the ordering of states according to value, with the exception of Immunizations — Adolescents and Infectious Disease, which are ranked according to score. Ties in values are assigned equal ranks.

The state rankings is the ordering of each state according to its overall score. A state’s overall score is calculated by adding the products of the z score for each core measure multiplied by its assigned weight (the percentage of the total overall ranking). If a value is not available for a state, the state’s score is set to zero for that measure. Measure weights can be found on the Measures, Weights and Directions page.

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Data presented in this report are aggregated at the state level and cannot be used to make inferences at the individual level. Values and rankings from prior years are updated on our website to reflect known errors or updates from the reporting source.