Report: East TN home to 3 of 4 counties with worst health outcomes
 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Three of four least healthy counties in the state are right here in East Tennessee, a new report by the Robert Wood Foundation finds. Fentress, Hancock, and Campbell Counties all finished at the bottom of the rankings of Health Outcomes, with only Grundy Co. faring worse.

Cocke Co., also, finished in the bottom quartile, coming in at 86th out of 95 counties. To determine its Health Outcomes rankings, the agency combines morbidity and mortality totals.

On the other side of the coin, Blount Co. just missed out on the bronze medal with a fourth place ranking. Loudon Co. (7th) was the only other East Tennessee county to make it into the top 10.

Knox Co. (#14) and Monroe Co. (#23) scored in the upper quartile as well, while Sevier Co. (#25) just missed out, topping the second quartile.

Much of the region fared a little better, though, when it came time to measure health factors, which weighed Health Behaviors, Clinical Care, Socioeconomic factors, and Physical Environment.

Knox Co. even jumped near the top of the list, taking second place. Blount Co. fell a few spots, but still finished sixth, while Loudon Co. rounded out the top ten. Anderson and Blount also finished in the top quartile.

Conversely, Campbell County ranked 94th. Fentress and Hancock fell in the bottom four as well.

LaFollette, the Cambell County's largest city, sponsors sports for kids.

Mayor Michael Stanfield says the focus is on teaching the youngest generation to value health, instead of falling into poor diet choices and inactive lifestyles as he says the town's aging population has.