No. 1 again, but it’s not just Utah’s economy this time.
For the fifth year in a row, Utah has achieved the ranking of the healthiest state for older adults, based on various health and social measures, according to America’s Health Rankings. There are still areas for improvement, but the report highlights areas where our state is achieving important outcomes because of the work by Utah and its local partners in the network of aging supporters and communities and because of Utah’s strong economy. Some highlights of success under social support and engagement, which affect a person’s mental health and well-being, include:
- Access to high-speed internet, Utah rank: 1
- 89.9% of households with adults age 65, compared with 84.8% nationally
- Low-care nursing home residents, Utah rank: 3
- 3.4% of residents, compared with 8.9% nationally
- Lowest risk of social isolation, Utah rank: 1
- Index from 1-100
- Volunteerism, Utah rank: 1
- 44.2% of adults age 65+, compared with 22.1% nationally
Some of these successes are also due to individual healthy choices of Utahns:
- Smoking, Utah rank: 1
- 3.2% of adults age 65+, compared with 8.6% nationally
- Excessive drinking, Utah rank: 1
- 3.4% of adults age 65+, compared with 7.7% nationally
Utah is also shining when it comes to:
- Housing cost burden, Utah rank: 7
- Cancer screenings, Utah rank: 6
- Preventable hospitalizations, Utah rank: 4
- Physical inactivity (adults age 65+ in fair or better health), Utah rank: 4
- Early death (Deaths per 100,000 adults ages 65-74), Utah rank: 6
- Teeth extractions, Utah rank: 6
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services, and its Division of Aging and Adult Services, Division of Population Health, and Office of Substance Use and Mental Health are proud to support efforts to help Utahns make healthy choices, and to support our partners, who help maximize resources in meeting the needs of Utah’s older adults.
Stay healthy, Utah! See our A-Z list of all health topics on our website.
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