State ranks health of counties       Dec 12, 3:03 PM EST Jackson Sun NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Lake County in northwest Tennessee ranks as the unhealthiest of the state's 95 counties, according to the Tennessee Institute of Public Health. The rankings, released Tuesday, were developed through a collaboration of the state Department of Health and academic institutions. The healthiest county was the affluent Nashville suburb of Williamson, according to measures of the overall health status and predictors of the population's future health. The rankings analyze 34 different measures of health, including mortality, birth weight, access to health care, education levels, racial disparities, poverty and environmental factors. "These rankings give a perspective of societal, environmental and health-related issues that are impacting the well-being of our citizens in the state," institute director Jo Edwards said in a release. The institute, formed this year, partners state health officials with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the Tennessee Board of Regents and the University of Tennessee. The county rankings are based on similar data used by the United Health Foundation to rank all 50 states. This year, Tennessee ranked 47th in overall health. "Improving the overall health of the state will take the combined efforts of individuals, local communities, local and state government, as well as the business and health community, and educational and nonprofit organizations," Edwards said. Besides Williamson, the five healthiest counties include the Nashville suburban counties of Sumner and Rutherford and Franklin and Moore counties in southern Middle Tennessee. The bottom five counties include the rural counties of Hardeman and Haywood in West Tennessee and Hancock and Fentress on the Cumberland Plateau. BACK