Report: R.I. ranks 42nd in nation in well-being among residents

RHODE ISLAND ranks 42nd in the nation in levels of well-being among its residents, according to a report released Wednesday by Gallup and Healthways. / COURTESY HEALTHWAYS
RHODE ISLAND ranks 42nd in the nation in levels of well-being among its residents, according to a report released Wednesday by Gallup and Healthways. / COURTESY HEALTHWAYS

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island ranks 42nd in the nation for levels of well-being among its residents, with the lowest scores nationwide in both community and social well-being. The findings were released Wednesday by Gallup and Healthways.

Healthways says the State of American Well-Being: 2016 State Well-Being Rankings examines which states “lead and lag across the five elements of well-being,” which are “purpose, social, financial, community and physical.”

Healthways says the data are based on 177,192 telephone interviews conducted in 2016 with adults across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Hawaii, Alaska, South Dakota, Maine and Colorado are the states with the highest levels of well-being in 2016, while residents of West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Indiana and Arkansas reported the lowest levels of well-being.

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Rhode Island is in the fifth quintile, the only state in New England to appear there.

Rhode Island comes in last in the nation in both the “community” and “social” categories. Healthways says the “community” element means residents like where they live, feel safe and have pride in their communities, and the “social” element means residents have supportive relationships and love in their lives.

Rhode Island fared best in the “physical” well-being category, ranking 18th in the nation. The “physical” element means residents have “good health and enough energy to get things done daily.”

Healthways says positive trends nationwide include historically low smoking rates, historically high rates of exercise and the highest scores on health care access measures, including health insurance coverage, since 2008. However, rates of obesity, diabetes and depression are now at their highest points nationwide since 2008.

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