For the second year in a row, Mississippi ranked as the unhealthiest state in the United States, according to America’s Health Rankings' 28th Annual Report.
The report, which breaks down America's health state by state, found that Mississippi and Louisiana faced major health challenges, including a high percentage of their populations dealing with smoking, obesity and children in poverty.
Meanwhile, premature death has increased nationally, and cardiovascular deaths and drug deaths also increased for the third consecutive year, the report indicated.
The United Health Foundation, through the America’s Health Rankings platform, aims to help policy makers, public health officials, researchers and communities improve Americans' health and well-being at the local, state and national levels.
These are the unhealthiest states in the U.S., according to the report.
10. Georgia
In Georgia, the number of children younger than 18 living in households at or below the poverty threshold was 23.2 percent, higher than the national average of 18 percent. Georgia also ranked high in physical inactivity--29.4 percent of adults reported no activity in the past 30 days, while the national average for that figure was 23.1.
9. Kentucky
Kentucky saw a higher than average risk of death by drug overdose--25.5 deaths per 100,000 people, while the national average was 15. Kentucky also ranked high in obesity rates with 34.2 percent of adults overweight, compared with the national average of 29.9 percent.
8. Oklahoma
Drug-related deaths in Oklahoma were at 20.3 deaths per 100,000, well above the national average of 15. Smoking rates in the Sooner State fell between 2012 and 2017 from 26.1 percent to 19.6 percent, but that's still higher than the national average of 17.1 percent.
7. South Carolina
The rate of children younger than 18 living in households at or below the poverty threshold was at 22.6 percent in the Palmetto State while the national average was 18 percent. South Carolina also recorded 26.9 percent of adults as being not physically active; the national average was 23.1 percent.
6.Tennessee
The obesity rate in Tennessee increased in the past five years to 34.8 percent of the state’s population while the national average was 29.9 percent of the population. Smoking rates in Tennessee ranked at a high 22.1 percent of adults; the national average was 17.1 percent.
5. West Virginia
In the past five years, West Virginia has experienced the largest increase in smoking among adults age 25 and older with a household income of less than $25,000.
4. Alabama
Alabama, ranked the same as last year, had fewer than 45 dentists per 100,000 people. And adult smokers represented 21.5 percent of the state's population, higher than the national rate of 17.1 percent.
3. Arkansas
Arkansas maintained its ranking from last year. The state had fewer than 45 dentists per 100,000 people. However, between 2012 and 2017, the state saw the largest decreases in air pollution levels, which fell from 10.8 micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter to 7.2.
2. Louisiana
Louisiana maintained its ranking from last year, and faced the same issues as Mississippi in the high rates of smoking, obesity and children living in poverty. The average rate for those completing their high school diploma was 77.7 percent, below the national rate of 83.2 percent.
1.Mississippi
For the second year in a row, Mississippi was found to be the unhealthiest state. The Magnolia State faces major health challenges--fewer than 45 dentists per 100,000 people and a high prevalence of smoking, obesity and children in poverty, all of which contributed to the poor ranking.
For the full report click here