Key Findings 

APPALACHIAN MARYLAND 

HEALTH 

DISPARITIES

1 

MORTALITY 

Heart Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian Maryland’s heart disease mortality rate is 

23 percent higher than the national rate and 21 percent 

higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Cancer Deaths 

 Appalachian Maryland’s cancer mortality rate is 4 

percent higher than the national rate and 4 percent higher 

than the rate in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian Maryland’s COPD mortality rate is 18 percent higher than the national rate and 54 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Injury Deaths 

 Appalachian Maryland’s injury mortality rate is 14 percent lower than the national rate and 33 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Maryland.

Stroke Deaths 

 Appalachian Maryland’s stroke mortality rate is 10 percent higher than the national rate and 12 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Diabetes Deaths 

 Appalachian Maryland’s diabetes mortality rate is 34 percent higher than the national rate and 

41 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Years of Potential Life Lost 

 Appalachian Maryland’s YPLL rate is 6 percent higher than the national rate and 10 percent 

higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Maryland.

MORBIDITY 

Physically Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian Maryland reports feeling physically unhealthy 6 percent less 

often than the average American and 13 percent more often than the average adult in nonAppalachian Maryland. 

Mentally Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian Maryland reports feeling mentally unhealthy 3 percent more 

often than the average American and 16 percent more often than the average adult in nonAppalachian Maryland. 

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2 

HIV Prevalence 

 Appalachian Maryland’s HIV rate is 17 percent lower than the national rate and 55 percent 

lower than the rate in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Diabetes Prevalence 

 The prevalence of diabetes in Appalachian Maryland is 12.4 percent, a mark higher than the 9.8 

percent experienced by the nation as a whole, and the 9.9 percent experienced in nonAppalachian Maryland. 

Obesity Prevalence 

 The prevalence of adult obesity is 31.4 percent in Appalachian Maryland, a mark higher than 

the 27.4 percent experienced in the nation as a whole, and the 28.3 percent experienced in nonAppalachian Maryland. 

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 

Depression Prevalence 

 The prevalence of depression among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries in Appalachian 

Maryland is 16.6 percent, compared to 15.4 percent for the United States as a whole and 13.4 

percent for non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Suicide Incidence 

 The suicide rate in Appalachian Maryland is 2 percent lower than the national rate, and 34 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Excessive Drinking 

 The percentage of adults reporting excessive drinking in Appalachian Maryland (16.4 percent) 

is lower than in the nation as a whole (17.7 percent), and lower than in non-Appalachian 

Maryland (16.8). 

Poisoning Deaths 

 The poisoning mortality rate in Appalachian Maryland is 26 percent higher than the national 

rate, and 29 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Opioid Prescription Rates 

 Of all Medicare prescription claims in Appalachian Maryland, 6.2 percent are for opioids, 

compared to 5.3 percent in the United States as a whole, and 4.9 percent in non-Appalachian 

Maryland. 

CHILD HEALTH 

Infant Mortality 

 The infant mortality rate is 2 percent lower in Appalachian Maryland than in the nation as a 

whole, and 12 percent lower than in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

 
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3 

Low Birth Weight Incidence 

 The incidence of low birth weight in Appalachian Maryland is 8.1 percent of all newborns, the 

same percentage as the national average of 8.1 percent, and lower than the non-Appalachian 

Maryland average of 8.8. 

Teen Birth Rate 

 The teen birth rate in Appalachian Maryland is 3 percent higher than the national rate and 33 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS 

Average Travel Time to Work 

 The average travel time to work in Appalachian Maryland is 25.7 minutes, which is the same as 

the national average, and lower than the average in non-Appalachian Maryland of 32.3 minutes. 

Grocery Store Availability 

 There are 19 percent fewer grocery stores per 1,000 population in Appalachian Maryland than 

in the United States as a whole, and 19 percent fewer than in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Student-Teacher Ratio 

 Appalachian Maryland’s student-teacher ratio is 14.4, which is a lower (better) ratio than the 

national average of 16.5, and a lower (better) ratio than the non-Appalachian Maryland average 

of 14.8.

LIFESTYLE 

Physical Inactivity 

 In Appalachian Maryland, 27.9 percent of people report being physically inactive, a figure 

higher than the 23.1 percent reported in the United States as a whole and the 22.9 percent 

reported in non-Appalachian Maryland.

Smoking 

 In Appalachian Maryland, 16.9 percent of all adults report being cigarette smokers, a figure 

higher than the 16.3 percent at the national level, and the 13.6 percent in non-Appalachian 

Maryland. 

Chlamydia Rate 

 Chlamydia incidence in Appalachian Maryland is 31 percent lower than the national average, 

and 34 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS 

Primary Care Physicians 

 The supply of primary care physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian Maryland is 22 

percent lower than the national average, and 35 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian Maryland. 

 
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4 

Mental Health Providers 

 The supply of mental health providers per 100,000 population in Appalachian Maryland is 5 

percent lower than the national average, and 12 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian Maryland. 

Specialty Physicians 

 The supply of specialty physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian Maryland is 27 

percent lower than the national average, and 53 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian Maryland. 

Dentists 

 The supply of dentists per 100,000 population in Appalachian Maryland is 10 percent lower 

than the national average, and 22 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Uninsured Population 

 The percentage of the population under age 65 that is uninsured in Appalachian Maryland is 

11.3 percent, which is lower (better) than the national average of 16.8 percent, and the nonAppalachian Maryland average of 11.7 percent. 

Heart Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for heart disease in Appalachian Maryland are 3 percent lower than the 

national average, and 2 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Maryland.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for COPD in Appalachian Maryland are 20 percent higher than the 

national average, and 39 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

QUALITY OF CARE 

Electronic Prescribing 

 Electronic prescribing is less common in Appalachian Maryland (61.7 percent of prescriptions) 

than in the nation as a whole (65.8 percent), but more common than in non-Appalachian 

Maryland (60.9 percent of prescriptions). 

Mammogram Screenings 

 The percentage of Medicare-covered women undergoing mammogram screenings in 

Appalachian Maryland is higher than the percentage at the national level. In Appalachian 

Maryland, 65.8 percent of Medicare-covered women ages 67 to 69 have had a recent 

mammogram, compared to the 62.1 percent reported in the nation as a whole, and the 63.3 

percent in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Diabetes Monitoring 

 Diabetes monitoring is higher among Medicare patients in Appalachian Maryland (86.9 percent) 

than among Medicare patients in the United States as a whole (84.7 percent), and among 

Medicare patients in non-Appalachian Maryland (84.7 percent). 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN MARYLAND

5 

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS 

Median Household Income 

 The median household income in Appalachian Maryland is 12 percent less than the national 

median, and 36 percent less than the median income in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Poverty 

 The household poverty rate is 15.0 percent in Appalachian Maryland, a figure lower than the 

national rate of 15.6 percent, but higher than the 10.3 percent in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Disability 

 The percentage of people receiving disability benefits is higher in Appalachian Maryland (5.8 

percent) than in the United States as a whole (5.1 percent) and in non-Appalachian Maryland 

(3.9 percent).

Education 

 In Appalachian Maryland, 53.6 percent of adults ages 25 to 44 have some type of postsecondary education, compared to the 63.3 percent in the nation as a whole and the 68.5 percent 

in non-Appalachian Maryland. 

Social Associations 

 The social association rate in Appalachian Maryland is 54 percent higher than the rate found in 

the nation as a whole, and 65 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Maryland.