Annual health ratings of states still puts Kentucky near the bottom

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Kentucky has ranked 44th among the 50 states in overall health in United Health Foundation's America's Health Rankings. Darla Carter of The Courier-Journal reports that while this is the same rating the state achieved last year, the commonwealth is not without some high points. Among them, Kentucky is 9th best nationwide for its low incidence of binge drinking. We are to be congratulated as well for our low violent crime, high immunization coverage and improved high school graduation rate.

Smoking continues to be where the state fails miserably. Still ranked last with a rate of 29 percent of the population as smokers, Kentucky faces an uphill battle as well with its more than 1 million obese adults and high rate of cancer deaths. The state also needs to continue to improve its ability to control the nation's highest rate of preventable hospitalizations. The rankings are published by the not-for-profit foundation, along with the American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention.Kentucky’s challenges include having the nation’s highest smoking rate, more than 1 million obese adults and a high rate of cancer deaths. See more on Kentucky's ratings here. (Read more)