Is Your State Happy?

Checkout this article which was posted on WebMD Medical News. . .

Survey Reveals the Nation's Happiest States
Well-Being Index Rates the Emotional and Physical Health of Americans

By Bill Hendrick

 Reviwed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 8, 2011 -- People in Hawaii apparently feel they have a lot to laugh and smile about. That state ranks highest in the country in a rating of emotional health, helping it achieve the top rating for overall well-being in the U.S., according to a new survey.

Hawaii scored highest in three of six sub-indexes that make up the 2010 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index: emotional health, which includes smiling, happiness, and laughter; life evaluation, or an expectation of good times for the next five years; and physical health, which includes daily energy and feeling well-rested.

West Virginia came in dead last based on scores on the same three sub-indexes.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama, along with West Virginia, made up the states with the lowest well-being scores.

Nevada, which is influenced by economic hard times, is the only state in the West in the same low range.

In the survey, a score of 100 represents an ideal condition of well-being. For the nation as a whole, the score was far below that ideal -- 66.8.

States With Highest and Lowest Scores

The top states in the Well-Being Index, and their scores, are:

·         Hawaii                   71

·         Wyoming               69.2

·         North Dakota        68.4

·         Alaska                   68.3

·         Colorado               68

·         Minnesota             68

·         South Dakota       68

·         Utah                      67.9

·         Connecticut         67.9

·         Nebraska             67.8

·         Massachusetts    67.8

The states with the lowest scores are:

·         Michigan                64.6

·         Louisiana               64.3

·         Delaware               64.2

·         Nevada                  64.2

·         Ohio                        63.8

·         Alabama                 63.7

·         Arkansas                63.7

·         Mississippi              63

·         Kentucky                 61.9

·         West Virginia          61.7

Calculating Well-Being Scores

Categories that make up the overall index include life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors, and basic access. Gallup-Healthways says interviews were conducted in 2010 with a random sample of 352,840 adults living in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C.

The questions were wide ranging. For emotional health, for instance, questions were asked about laughter frequency, whether respondents were treated with respect, and whether they reported such things as sadness, anger, stress , and depression .

To arrive at a life evaluation score, people were asked about their current life situations and their expectations for the next five years.

For other categories people were asked about health problems, days taken off from work due to illness, whether they smoked or ate fruits and vegetables , and whether they had access to adequate medical care.

Money Problems Affect Well-Being Scores

According to the survey, residents of Delaware report the worst working environments in the nation, while those in South Dakota are most positive about the places they earn money.

Vermont has the best overall health habits in the nation and Kentucky has the worst.

Residents of Massachusetts have the best access to crucial necessities, such as clean water, medicine, food, and shelter, while Mississippi had the worst.

The researchers who put together the questions and tabulated the answers say improving well-being scores will be a challenge because many states have fiscal problems, which causes the closing of public schools, layoffs, and cuts in the number of workers and public services.

“Although money is tight, finding ways to increase residents’ access to good jobs and to basic necessities -- including medical care in particular -- and decrease costly, chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes , will be the most likely means to improve well-being,” the researchers write. “At a time when state and local governments are challenged with being able to provide basic services, business leaders may be able to step in and play an important role in increasing well-being in their communities, which is good for business, as higher well-being means lower healthcare costs and greater economic growth.”

State-by-State Well-Being Scores

Here is a list of all the states based on overall well-being scores:

·         Hawaii                                      71

·         Wyoming                                 69.2

·         North Dakota                          68.4

·         Alaska                                      68.3

·         Colorado                                  68

·         Minnesota                                68

·         South Dakota                          68

·         Utah                                         67.9

·         Connecticut                             67.9

·         Nebraska                                 67.8

·         Massachusetts                        67.8

·         Maryland                                  67.5

·         Washington                             67.5

·         Montana                                   67.3

·         Kansas                                    67.2

·         New Hampshire                      67.2

·         Vermont                                  67.1

·         California                                67

·         Iowa                                         66.9

·         Idaho                                       66.9

·         New Mexico                           66.7

·         Virginia                                   66.7

·         Wisconsin                              66.7

·         New Jersey                           66.6

·         Maine                                     66.4

·         Illinois                                    66.3

·         Oregon                                  66.3

·         Texas                                     66.3

·         Arizona                                 66.2

·         Pennsylvania                       66.1

·         Georgia                                 66.1

·         New York                              65.9

·         Rhode Island                       65.7

·         Missouri                                65.6

·         South Carolina                     65.3

·         North Carolina                     65.1

·         Florida                                  65.1

·         Oklahoma                            64.9

·         Indiana                                 64.8

·         Tennessee                          64.8

·         Michigan                               64.6

·         Louisiana                              64.3

·         Delaware                              64.2

·         Nevada                                 64.2

·         Ohio                                       63.8

·         Alabama                               63.7

·         Arkansas                             63.7

·         Mississippi                          63.0

·         Kentucky                             61.9

·         West Virginia                     61.7