As part of an assessment of how the state is doing on several fronts heading into the Nov. 8 election, The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer examined five key measures of health for North Carolina, and how they stack up to other states. The papers analyzed data about infant mortality, obesity, lack of health insurance, primary care physicians and overall health.

North Carolina is below the median but has risen five places since 1990 in a ranking of states’ overall health, compiled by United Health Foundation, based on an analysis of behavior, community and environmental conditions, policies and clinical care data.

The state’s increase in the obesity rate has slowed recently, bringing it almost even with the national average. There has been a slow reduction in infant mortality, following a national trend, but the state still trails the U.S. average. And as for primary care doctors per 100,000 people, the state is below the national average despite slight gains across the board in the past 10 years.

Finally, North Carolina’s percentage of people without health coverage, once better than the U.S. average, is now more than two points worse.