Indicators which reflect residents' access to health care are mixed. Citizens ranked this condition as very important and perceive little progress being made towards the achievement of this condition.

INDICATORS

• 5.1 Infant Mortality Rate
• 5.2 Low Birth Weight Babies
• 5.3 State Mental Health Agency Per Capita Spending

  LOCAL TREND:

New Mexico's infant mortality rate is low and is holding steady. Albuquerque's percentage of low birth weight babies has risen over the past few years. The State of New Mexico has low levels of spending for publicly funded mental health services, and these levels have remained virtually unchanged since 1981.

  NATIONAL/REGIONAL COMPARISON:

New Mexico's infant mortality rate is among the lowest in the Southwest; New Mexico's rate is also lower than the US national average, and the state is 20th best among the 50 states. Albuquerque 's rate of low birth weight babies is about average among peer Southwest cities. New Mexico has the lowest level of publicly funded mental health services of any state in the US. While other Southwest states have made significant investments in publicly funded mental health services, New Mexico's spending is virtually unchanged since 1981.

  CITIZEN PERCEPTION:

In 2007, Albuquerque citizens rated this Desired Community Condition as being one of the most important conditions to achieve, while simultaneously being a condition with some of the least progress having been made. The difference between the importance of the condition and the progress citizens believe has been made is the ninth highest such difference among all Desired Community Conditions. Women reported this condition as being more important than did men; this relationship between gender and opinion of importance was true to a statistically significant degree. Both men and women felt that improvement is needed in access to health care.

Opportunity to Improve	LOCAL TREND IS:	Mixed
	ALBUQUERQUE, COMPARED TO OTHERS, IS:	Mixed
	CITIZEN PERCEPTION COMPARED TO DATA:	Matches

NOTE: For help in understanding this page, see Creating a Community Report Card.