LEWISTON — In a national health ranking of all counties by state, Androscoggin County was deemed the sixth healthiest county in Maine, a notable improvement over its 2012 ranking of 11th, according to a news release distributed by MaineHealth.

Oxford County improved even more, from Maine’s least healthy county in 2010 and 2011, up to a rating of 12th this year.

In both counties the improved ratings were largely due to a reduction in premature mortality, or the rate of people dying before age 75.

The rankings for Franklin County remained steady, ranked eight in the state in 2012 and again this year.

The findings come from the 2013 County Health Rankings compiled by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The rankings were based on health outcomes ranking five measures of current death rates and disease.

Counties in each state are also ranked on a range of 25 factors that influence health, such as income, rates of smoking, obesity, teen births, family and social support, high school graduation rates, unemployment, air and water quality, and access to healthy foods.

Other highlights from the report show tobacco and obesity rates are still quite high in the two counties, providing direction for public health improvements, according to MaineHealth.

Obesity in Androscoggin County has increased at a faster pace than Maine’s statewide rate. Local organizations such as Healthy Androscoggin, Healthy Oxford Hills, River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition and the recently-funded Oxford County Wellness Collaborative, are working to address these issues.

Similar to America’s Health Rankings, the county rankings rate the overall health of nearly every county in all 50 states and help counties understand what influences how healthy residents are, what is working well in each county and what issues to focus on to create healthier places to live, work and play. The report also allows counties to see how they compare to other counties within the state.

“No single sector alone can tackle the health challenges in any given community,” Tim Cowan, director of MaineHealth’s Index Initiative, said.

“To make substantive improvements in major health issues, such as decreasing tobacco use, increasing healthy eating and levels of physical activity, we must continue to partner with organizations across the health care system. There is still a lot of work to be done, and collaboration is key. More and more, organizations are working together to make Maine communities healthier.”

The report includes detailed county level summaries. It can be viewed online at countyhealthrankings.org

Comparison of 2012 and 2013 Maine County Health Rankings

The fourth annual rankings below are based on a set of five health outcomes related to current death rates and disease:

2012

1. Sagadahoc

2. Hancock

3. Cumberland

4. York

5. Knox

6. Waldo

7. Lincoln

8. Franklin

9. Kennebec

10. Penobscot

11. Androscoggin

12. Aroostook

13. Piscataquis

14. Somerset

15. Oxford

16. Washington

2013

1. Hancock

2. Cumberland

3. Sagadahoc

4. York

5. Knox

6. Androscoggin

7. Kennebec

8. Franklin

9. Penobscot

10. Waldo

11. Lincoln

12. Oxford

13. Aroostook

14. Washington

15. Somerset

16. Piscataquis