Teenagers are leading the way toward a healthier Colorado.
In their 10th annual health report card, the Colorado Health Institute and Colorado Health Foundation laud teens in five of 10 good-news categories.
Twenty-three percent of Colorado teens are sexually active, the lowest rate in the nation. The teen birth rate has dropped by nearly half since 2007, to 23 per thousand girls. More children are getting dental care, fewer are binge drinking and two-thirds now participate "in vigorous physical activity."
The report card also gives high marks to pregnant women, saying only 11 percent now wait until their third trimester for medical care or skip it altogether. That brought Colorado to sixth best in the nation, up from 41st in 2008.
Those are among the 10 top achievements cited by the report. Broader health insurance coverage, low adult obesity rates, a high percentage of seniors with regular medical care and "active seniors" are the others.
Read more from our partners at The Denver Post.