To find out where in the US is home to the least healthy populations, Forbes Advisor compared the 50 states on 21 metrics across the following categories: disease risk factors and prevalence, substance abuse, lifestyle habits and health outlook.
Key Findings:
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According to the research, the unhealthiest populations of all are found in West Virginia. The state has the highest percentage of adults who smoke (21 percent), the highest diabetes mortality rate (41.7 deaths per 100,000 residents) and the second-shortest life expectancy overall (73.9 years).
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Of the top 10 states with the poorest health, eight are in the South: West Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
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West Virginia residents rank worst for lifestyle habits and health outlook, people in Mississippi scored poorest for disease risk factors and prevalence and Vermont is the worst state in the country when it comes to substance abuse.
Via Forbes Advisor.
[Image credit: Marcelo Leal]
