A new report from the United Health Foundation documents improvements in state health metrics, as well as other measures that have worsened in recent years.
The 2021 Health Disparities Report shows the smoking rate for adults with a high school education in Wisconsin decreased from 22.8 percent in 2011-2013 to 17.2 percent in 2017-2019. And the report documents an 18 percent reduction in infant mortality in white infants between the study periods of 2003-2006 and 2015-2018.
But at the same time, the rate of low birthweight Asian and Pacific Islander infants increased from 7.2 percent in 2003-2006 to 8 percent in 2016-2019. The report also found the rate of diabetes among Hispanic adults in the state increased from 7.7 percent in 2011-2013 to 10.8 percent in 2017-2019.
The report highlighted low health disparities between male and female able-bodied adults, and low disparities in child poverty between metropolitan and non-metro areas; it also identified areas of high disparities in the state.
For example, the disparity between Black and white residents for “severe housing problems” is high, with Black residents of the state having worse rates than the national average and white residents faring better.
Men are more likely to die prematurely than women in Wisconsin, the report shows. And residents with less than a high school education tend to have worse health outcomes than college graduates.
See the full state report here: http://assets.americashealthrankings.org/app/uploads/2021-health-disparities-state-summaries1.pdf
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