(AP) -- KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A new study shows nine of Missouri's 10 least healthy counties are located in a poor, southeastern section of the state.
The report was released Wednesday by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
It says the rate of premature death and teen births in Pemiscot County -- the state's least healthy -- is twice as high as in Christian County, the state's healthiest. The study also found 45 percent of Pemiscot County children live in poverty, compared to 14 percent in Christian County, which is located in southwestern Missouri.
Freestanding St. Louis City is the only community among the 10 least healthy that isn't located in the southeast.
You can see the complete rankings of Missouri's counties, along with an interactive map explaining why each county received its ranking by clicking here.
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