A reader sent Ask Wisconsin Watch a question about how the state compares with other states in various categories related to transportation, education, health care, parks and local funding. Here’s a look at how health and wellness ranks in Wisconsin.
Across various measures of health and wellness, Wisconsin ranked 22nd based on data from America’s Health Rankings’ 2023 annual report. On the horizontal axis, the graphic indicates what percentage of people in the state are impacted by the issue. The specifics of each measure can be found here. Wisconsin’s worst rankings were in obesity, housing with lead risk, racial disparities in premature death and low birthweight and excessive, heavy and binge drinking.
Excessive drinking is the percentage of adults who reported binge or heavy drinking. Binge drinking is four or more drinks on one occasion for females and five or more drinks for males. Heavy drinking is defined as eight or more drinks per week for females and 15 or more for males.
Compared with the national average of 18.4% of adults, 21.6% of adults in Wisconsin drink excessively. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, excessive drinking can cause long-term damage to the heart, liver, pancreas and immune system. It has also been linked to multiple forms of cancer. Revisit our past coverage of Wisconsin’s deadly problem with excessive drinking.
Wisconsin also ranked 49th, tied with Michigan, for money spent on public health. The national average was $183 per person — Wisconsin and Michigan both spent $128 per person.
Wisconsin ranked well in crowded housing, cancer screenings, voter participation and high school graduation rates. The national average voter participation was 59.5% while 67.3% of eligible voters in Wisconsin participated in the last presidential and national midterm elections.
This article first appeared on Wisconsin Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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