Key Findings 

 APPALACHIAN PENNSYLVANIA 

HEALTH 

DISPARITIES

1 

MORTALITY 

Heart Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian Pennsylvania’s heart disease mortality rate is 

13 percent higher than the national rate and 11 percent 

higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Cancer Deaths 

 Appalachian Pennsylvania’s cancer mortality rate is 7 

percent higher than the national rate and 2 percent higher 

than the rate in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian Pennsylvania’s COPD mortality rate is 2 percent higher than the national rate and 

20 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Injury Deaths 

 Appalachian Pennsylvania’s injury mortality rate is 22 percent higher than the national rate and 

19 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania.

Stroke Deaths 

 Appalachian Pennsylvania’s stroke mortality rate is the same as the national rate and 3 percent 

lower than the rate in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Diabetes Deaths 

 Appalachian Pennsylvania’s diabetes mortality rate is 12 percent higher than the national rate 

and 28 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Years of Potential Life Lost 

 Appalachian Pennsylvania’s YPLL rate is 8 percent higher than the national rate and 7 percent 

higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

MORBIDITY 

Physically Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian Pennsylvania reports feeling physically unhealthy the same 

number of days as the average adult in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania and the same number of 

days as the average American. 

 

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2 

Mentally Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian Pennsylvania reports feeling mentally unhealthy 8 percent 

more often than the average American and 3 percent less often than the average adult in nonAppalachian Pennsylvania. 

HIV Prevalence 

 Appalachian Pennsylvania’s HIV rate is 65 percent lower than the national rate and 72 percent 

lower than the rate in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Diabetes Prevalence 

 The prevalence of diabetes in Appalachian Pennsylvania is 10.7 percent, a mark higher than the 

9.8 percent experienced by the nation as a whole, and the 9.7 percent experienced in nonAppalachian Pennsylvania. 

Obesity Prevalence 

 The prevalence of adult obesity is 29.9 percent in Appalachian Pennsylvania, a mark higher 

than the 27.4 percent experienced in the nation as a whole, and the 27.9 percent experienced in 

non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 

Depression Prevalence 

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

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

15.9 percent for non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Suicide Incidence 

 The suicide rate in Appalachian Pennsylvania is 9 percent higher than the national rate, and 13 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Excessive Drinking 

 The percentage of adults reporting excessive drinking in Appalachian Pennsylvania (18.2 

percent) is higher than in the nation as a whole (17.7 percent), and the same percentage as in 

non-Appalachian Pennsylvania (18.2). 

Poisoning Deaths 

 The poisoning mortality rate in Appalachian Pennsylvania is 34 percent higher than the national 

rate, and 4 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Opioid Prescription Rates 

 Of all Medicare prescription claims in Appalachian Pennsylvania, 4.8 percent are for opioids, 

compared to 5.3 percent in the United States as a whole, and 4.1 percent in non-Appalachian 

Pennsylvania. 
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3 

CHILD HEALTH 

Infant Mortality 

 The infant mortality rate is 8 percent higher in Appalachian Pennsylvania than in the nation as a 

whole, and 3 percent lower than in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Low Birth Weight Incidence 

 The incidence of low birth weight in Appalachian Pennsylvania is 7.8 percent of all newborns, a 

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

Pennsylvania average of 8.4. 

Teen Birth Rate 

 The teen birth rate in Appalachian Pennsylvania is 29 percent lower than the national rate and 14 

percent lower than the rate in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS 

Average Travel Time to Work 

 The average travel time to work in Appalachian Pennsylvania is 24.8 minutes, which is 

comparable to the national average of 25.7 minutes, and lower than the average in nonAppalachian Pennsylvania of 27.4 minutes. 

Grocery Store Availability 

 There are 14 percent fewer grocery stores per 1,000 population in Appalachian Pennsylvania 

than in the United States as a whole, and 22 percent fewer than in non-Appalachian 

Pennsylvania. 

Student-Teacher Ratio 

 Appalachian Pennsylvania’s student-teacher ratio is 13.7, which is a lower (better) ratio than 

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

average of 15.0. 

LIFESTYLE 

Physical Inactivity 

 In Appalachian Pennsylvania, 25.7 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 22.6 percent 

reported in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Smoking 

 In Appalachian Pennsylvania, 19.4 percent of all adults report being cigarette smokers, a figure 

higher than the 16.3 percent at the national level, and the 18.5 percent in non-Appalachian 

Pennsylvania. 
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4 

Chlamydia Rate 

 Chlamydia incidence in Appalachian Pennsylvania is 35 percent lower than the national 

average, and 44 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania.

HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS 

Primary Care Physicians 

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

2 percent lower than the national average, and 17 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian Pennsylvania. 

Mental Health Providers 

 The supply of mental health providers per 100,000 population in Appalachian Pennsylvania is 25 

percent lower than the national average, and 20 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian Pennsylvania. 

Specialty Physicians 

 The supply of specialty physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian Pennsylvania is 7 

percent lower than the national average, and 29 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian Pennsylvania. 

Dentists 

 The supply of dentists per 100,000 population in Appalachian Pennsylvania is 8 percent lower 

than the national average, and 14 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian 

Pennsylvania. 

Uninsured Population 

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

11.2 percent, which is lower (better) than the national average of 16.8 percent, and the nonAppalachian Pennsylvania average of 12.0 percent. 

Heart Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for heart disease in Appalachian Pennsylvania are 23 percent higher than 

the national average, and 9 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for COPD in Appalachian Pennsylvania are 12 percent higher than the 

national average, and 21 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

QUALITY OF CARE 

Electronic Prescribing 

 Electronic prescribing is more common in Appalachian Pennsylvania (68.9 percent of 

prescriptions) than in the nation as a whole (65.8 percent), but less common than in nonAppalachian Pennsylvania (75.1 percent of prescriptions). 
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5 

Mammogram Screenings 

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

Appalachian Pennsylvania is lower than the percentage at the national level. In Appalachian 

Pennsylvania, 59.9 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 64.4 

percent in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Diabetes Monitoring 

 Diabetes monitoring is slightly lower among Medicare patients in Appalachian Pennsylvania 

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

among Medicare patients in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania (86.7 percent). 

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS 

Median Household Income 

 The median household income in Appalachian Pennsylvania is 13 percent less than the national 

median, and 19 percent less than the median income in non-Appalachian Pennsylvania. 

Poverty 

 The household poverty rate is 13.9 percent in Appalachian Pennsylvania, a figure lower than 

the national rate of 15.6 percent, and slightly higher than the 13.4 percent in non-Appalachian 

Pennsylvania. 

Disability 

 The percentage of people receiving disability benefits is higher in Appalachian Pennsylvania 

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

Pennsylvania (5.5 percent). 

Education 

 In Appalachian Pennsylvania, 61.3 percent of adults ages 25 to 44 have some type of postsecondary education, compared to the 63.3 percent in both the nation as a whole and in nonAppalachian Pennsylvania. 

Social Associations 

 The social association rate in Appalachian Pennsylvania is 52 percent higher than the rate 

found in the nation as a whole, and 34 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian 

Pennsylvania.