Although more women of reproductive age are reporting high health status, they are still facing health challenges related to pregnancy and drug use, according to a recent report from the United Health Foundation's America's Health Rankings.
The "2023 Health of Women and Children Report" considered social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors and health outcomes. Read about the methodology here.
Here are six takeaways on women's health from the report:
- The number of women between ages 18 and 44 self-reporting their health status as very good or excellent rose by 10 percent between 2018-2019 and 2020-2021.
- Fifty-nine percent of women between ages 18 and 44 described their health status as very good or excellent in 2021, the highest rate reported by America's Health Rankings.
- Maternal mortality rates occurring within 42 days of the end of pregnancy increased by 29 percent between 2014-2018 and 2017-2021.
- Severe maternal morbidity — significant life-threatening maternal complications during delivery — has increased 22 percent since 2016.
- Drug death rates among women increased by 27 percent from 2016-2018 to 2019-2021.
- Injury deaths among women increased by 17 percent between 2016-2018 and 2019-2021, with the most common cause of injury death being poisoning (including drug deaths), followed by motor vehicle accidents, firearms and suffocation.