STATE VITALS: ALABAMA

Alabama ranks among the top ten states for rates of preterm births, teen births and low birthweight.  Alabama also ranks higher than the entire U.S. in mortality for all ten leading causes of death, which include:  heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, accidents, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, kidney disease, influenza/pneumonia and suicide.

However, since 2005 mortality rates in Alabama for 8 out of 10 of these leading causes of death has declined (all causes except kidney disease and suicide).