Women’s risk of death higher depending on their state: Study

According to a new study , where in the U.S. women live could be a matter of life or death. In its first ever state-by-state analysis of women’s health, the Commonwealth Fund found women are facing a growing number of threats to their overall health and well-being.

The Commonwealth Fund is a private nonprofit that supports independent research and grants with the goal of improving health care.

The researchers used data from multiple sources — including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — to evaluate states on 32 specific metrics across three main areas:

• Health outcomes.
• Health care quality and prevention.
• Coverage, access and affordability.

Researchers that found across the board, women are more likely to die from preventable causes, specifically those linked to reproductive health – like pregnancy-related issues or certain types of cancer . However, they also looked at other preventable causes, including substance use, COVID-19 and treatable chronic health conditions.

The study said life expectancy for U.S. women is the lowest it has been since 2006. Researchers contend that the biggest issues seem to be in states where abortion and contraception laws are stricter.

States in the Northeast scored the highest for women’s health, with Massachusetts coming in on top. Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire rounded out the top five.

The lowest-ranked states are Mississippi, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The report shows the lowest ranked states tend more toward the southern U.S.

The study also found a link between states with expanded Medicaid coverage and lower mortality rates for women. The rolling back of pandemic-era Medicaid coverage has left millions of women either uninsured or facing significant gaps in their coverage – interfering with their access to care and leaving providers that serve low-income women at risk of closure.

According to the researchers, where a woman lives is becoming a key determinant in how dangerous it is to give birth, or if she'll die from cancers that considered treatable with proper screening and routine care.

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