Louisiana Ranks At Bottom Of 2017 State Well-Being Rankings

“This year’s findings emphasize the interconnectivity and influence the elements have on each other, which can be seen by the significant impact purpose well-being declines had on scores nationwide,” said Dan Witters, research director for the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. “Research shows that holistic well-being leads to greater resiliency, adaptability to change and productivity, among other benefits. To capitalize on the advantages, it is imperative for us to promote well-being across every element.”

Despite the national downturn, the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index found improvement in several traditional measures of physical health in 2017, such as the proportion of Americans reporting participation in regular exercise, abstention from smoking and being overweight. Community well-being – defined as liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community – also improved for Americans between 2016 and 2017. Although improvements in certain physical health categories and community well-being signal progress, the sharp declines in overall well-being were driven by drops in purpose and social well-being metrics, as well as the mental health aspects of physical well-being. Out of a possible score of 100, the national Well-Being Index score dropped from 62.1 in 2016 to 61.5 in 2017, marking the largest year-over-year decline since the index began in 2008.

“This past year showed promising improvement in several behaviors associated with healthy living, yet it also serves as a wake-up call to remind us that the inner hallmarks of well-being deserve our attention,” said Ashlin Jones, vice president, research and advanced data science at Sharecare. “As we look toward improving all aspects of well-being, organizations and leaders across the states will be challenged to bridge innovation with evidence-based best practices to create positive change within their respective populations.”

For the individual U.S. state rankings, South Dakota claimed the top spot, with the highest well-being score of 64.1 out of 100 possible points. Vermont followed closely at number two, sharing a rounded score of 64.1 with South Dakota. With a score of 63.4, Hawaii ranked third, making it one of only two states that have ranked in the top 10 every year since Sharecare and Gallup began measuring well-being in 2008. Although purpose and social well-being declines led to lower scores among most U.S. states, high scores in purpose well-being in South Dakota and social well-being in Vermont catapulted these two states into their top positions in 2017. Hawaii also placed among the top four states for purpose, social and community well-being, and is the only state in the country that ranked in the top 10 across all elements of well-being in 2017. South Dakota, Vermont and Hawaii have consistently ranked highly as “well-being elite” states since the inception of the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index.

National Well-Being Scores by Element

Highest and Lowest Well-Being Scores in U.S. States

The Well-Being Index is calculated on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 represents the lowest possible well-being and 100 represents the highest possible well-being.

For more information about the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index 2017 state rankings, download the complete report Gallup-Sharecare State of American Well-Being_2017-State-Rankings

About the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index^™

The Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index is an ongoing measurement of well-being, with more than 2.5 million surveys fielded to date. The partnership between Gallup and Sharecare merges decades of clinical research, health care leadership and behavioral economics expertise to track and understand the key factors that drive greater well-being for individuals and populations. Gallup and Sharecare aim to create a healthier world through knowledge, information and action informed by the data and insights gathered.

The Well-Being Index is calculated on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 represents the lowest possible well-being and 100 represents the highest possible well-being. Through ongoing nationally representative surveys, the Well-Being Index creates a composite picture of health and well-being within the U.S. To learn more, visit www.well-beingindex.com.

About Gallup: Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.

About Sharecare: Sharecare is the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place. The Sharecare platform provides each person – no matter where they are in their health journey – with a comprehensive and personalized health profile where they can dynamically and easily connect to the information, evidence-based programs and health professionals they need to live their healthiest, happiest and most productive life. In addition to providing individual consumers with direct access to award-winning and innovative frictionless technologies, scientifically validated clinical protocols and best-in-class coaching tools, Sharecare also helps providers, employers and health plans effectively scale outcomes-based health and wellness solutions across their entire populations. To learn more, visit www.sharecare.com