Wadena County ranked 84th out of 85 counties for health
Wadena is the second unhealthiest county in Minnesota, according to a study prepared by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
The study ranks Wadena County at 
Wadena County ranked 84th out of 85 counties for health
Wadena is the second unhealthiest county in Minnesota, according to a study prepared by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
The study ranks Wadena County at 84 out of 85, with only nearby Cass County being worse off. Cook County and Traverse County were not ranked.
In the state overall, the rural northwestern counties tended to rank low and the south metro counties tended to rank high.
Paul Sailer of Wadena County Social Services said high poverty and age demographics factor into the rankings.
"Wadena County's unemployment is very high compared to the rest of the state. So people that are unemployed aren't as likely to go in to the doctor because they don't have their health insurance," Sailer said.
Sailer said that statistics from the agency give evidence of a bad economy. In 2007, 898 people in Wadena County were in the food support program. In the same month in 2011, the number had nearly doubled to 1,795.
Use of public medical programs also rose from 2,470 to 2,882 in the