Residents of Wyandotte County and southeast Kansas face worse health outcomes than most of the rest of the state.
A new report of annual health rankings from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute considers premature death, births of low-weight newborns, mental well-being and other factors.
Southeast Kansas has struggled with poverty for generations — going back to the heyday of the region’s coal, zinc and lead mining industries. Those industries attracted immigrants willing to work dangerous jobs.
