Health data released in December ranked Tennessee 45th in the country for overall health. After several years of improvement, the state slipped three spots for 2014 (from a ranking of 42nd in 2013). Contributing to Tennessee’s results:

A high prevalence of physical inactivity, with 33.6 percent of adults inactive (an increase of 17 percent from last year);

A high prevalence of obesity at 33.7 percent of adults;

The highest rate of violent crime relative to other states in the country, ranking Tennessee 50th with 644 offenses per 100,000 population.

On the plus side, the state performed well in several areas, including:

A low prevalence of binge drinking (Rank: 1);

Low incidence of pertussis infections (Rank: 10); and

The state’s ready availability of primary care physicians (Rank: 19).

The statistics are part of the 2014 America’s Health Rankings®, an annual assessment of the nation’s health created by United Health Foundation in collaboration with the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention. America’s Health Rankings celebrated its 25th year as 2014 wound to a close.

Other highlights of the report for Tennessee include:

A drop in infant mortality from 8.0 deaths per 1,000 live births to 7.3, moving Tennessee up six places in the rankings relative to other states;

A decrease in preventable hospitalizations from 80.8 per 1,000 Medicare beneficiaries to 73.1;

An improvement in air pollution, measured in micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter, from 16.1 to 9.5;

An increase in high school graduation (percent of incoming ninth graders) from 80.4 to 83 percent; and

A 10 percent reduction since 1990 of children living in poverty from 29.6 percent to 26.7 percent.

More information on Tennessee’s health rankings, trend data for the state, and rankings for other states is available at americashealthrankings.org.