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April 7, 2008:
HealthTeacher Announces 2 Annual SoHealthi Rankings for State Health Education and Outcomes January 28, 2008:
Steve NeSmith Joins ConnectivHealth as Director of Technology Operations January 10, 2008:
The Doctor's Channel and VerusMed Announce Partnership to Provide Physicians With Concise, Reliable Information December 13, 2007:
HealthTeacher and Alignment Nashville Team To Provide Health Education to 75,000 Students September 20, 2007:
Introducing PeerClip™ – Information and Insight for Physicians the Way It Should Be |
HealthTeacher Announces 2 Annual SoHealthi Rankings for
State Health Education and Outcomes
NASHVILLE, Tenn, April 7, 2008 - HealthTeacher today announced the release of new
state health rankings and data supporting the need for mandatory K-12 health education
to improve the long-term health status of those residing in the United States. This year's rankings found a significant correlation between health education and
improved health outcomes. The results also showed a strong relationship between
health education and higher graduation rates. The SoHealthi research analyzed the
impact of health education and 19 health variables—such as state required health
education courses, student cigarette use, and adult diabetes—on state health outcomes. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were assigned a health ranking from one to 51
based on the 19 health variables, with one being the healthiest and 51 being the least
healthy. Montana ranked No. 1 healthiest overall in the 2008 SoHealthi rankings, taking
top state in four individual criteria categories, including fewer ER visits and inpatient
admissions. Montana also ranked No. 1 in offering two or more health education courses.
Utah, 2007's top state, slipped to No. 2, followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, and
Minnesota.
The Western states, which have higher physical activity levels, fared well in the rankings,
with Utah showing the lowest smoking rates for adults and students. However, several
Eastern and Southern states ranked No. 1 within selected rankings, including Maine,
which had the lowest violent crime rate, Connecticut for highest dental visits, Oklahoma
for lowest rates of skipping school due to threat of violence, and Florida for the lowest
suicide rates among teens. Tennessee ranked first for lowest binge drinking rates. "In our second year of the SoHealthi rankings, it is clear that K-12 health education
continues to have a lifelong impact on health outcomes," said J. Tod Fetherling, vice
president of business development at ConnectivHealth, parent of HealthTeacher. "As the
cost of health care rises and presidential candidates look for solutions, the public needs
to point to our schools as part of the solution." The SoHealthi rankings, developed by HealthTeacher to examine the impact of health
education on health outcomes, were created from several state health outcomes reports
by federal agencies and other organizations. The SoHealthi methodology included more
than 1,700 health data elements, which were analyzed via a correlation analysis. From the correlation analysis, 19 items were selected that had a high correlation to
health education, were impacted by lifestyles, and contributed to disproportionately
higher health costs. This year's study also included statistical analysis conducted via a
regression model to test the strength of the relationship in the variables. Results showed
that health education had a strong correlation to high school graduation rates. In addition,
the research found that high school graduation, and health education standards are
associated with lower inpatient admissions per population, after adjusting for
demographic differences among the states. "I think one of the most compelling findings was that just the requirement by school
districts that there be certain health education standards is associated with a substantial
and significant decrease in inpatient admissions per capita," said Bruce Cooil, Ph.D.,
The Dean Samuel B. and Evelyn R. Richmond Professor of Management, Owen
Graduate School at Vanderbilt University. "This is true even when you correct for
differences in socio-economic and racial demographics, and overall high school
graduation rates, across the states."
The SoHealthi rankings also revealed that states requiring health education spent less
overall on health. Additionally, the research found that while health education offered in
all grades had a positive impact on health outcomes, education offered specifically in
10th grade had the most significant impact on health outcomes. Reviewed survey data included:
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