Maine a top 10 state for women’s health

A new state-by-state survey of the health status of women ranks Maine among the top 10 states, but along with 35 other states, Maine still received an overall “unsatisfactory” grade in measuring up to a list of 27 key health indicators.

The national report, released Wednesday afternoon by the National Women’s Law Center and Oregon Health and Science University, ranked Maine eighth in the nation, with good marks for the percentage of women who get screened for breast, colon and cervical cancer and who receive regular dental care.

Maine lost points for increased rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease since 2004, as well as poor dietary habits, smoking and deaths due to cancer. Maine got low marks for the rate of poverty among women and the earnings gap between men and women.

The report, titled “Making the Grade for Women’s Health; A National and State-by-State Report Card,” measures states’ progress toward goals established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the national “Healthy People 2010” initiative.

The survey ranked Vermont No. 1 in the nation while Mississippi came in last. Five of the six New England states ranked in the top 10 with Rhode Island placing 11th.

No state received higher than a “satisfactory minus” score; 12 states received a failing score.

The study can be seen online at http://hrc.nwlc.org.