Key Findings 

 APPALACHIAN SOUTH CAROLINA 

HEALTH 

DISPARITIES

1 

MORTALITY 

Heart Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian South Carolina’s heart disease mortality 

rate is 3 percent higher than the national rate and 4 

percent lower than the rate in non-Appalachian South 

Carolina. 

Cancer Deaths 

 Appalachian South Carolina’s cancer mortality rate is 5 

percent higher than the national rate and 3 percent lower 

than the rate in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian South Carolina’s COPD mortality rate is 28 percent higher than the national rate 

and 16 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Injury Deaths 

 Appalachian South Carolina’s injury mortality rate is 32 percent higher than the national rate and 

10 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian South Carolina.

Stroke Deaths 

 Appalachian South Carolina’s stroke mortality rate is 22 percent higher than the national rate 

and 4 percent lower than the rate in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Diabetes Deaths 

 Appalachian South Carolina’s diabetes mortality rate is 3 percent higher than the national rate 

and 2 percent lower than the rate in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Years of Potential Life Lost 

 Appalachian South Carolina’s YPLL rate is 21 percent higher than the national rate and 3 

percent lower than the rate in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

MORBIDITY 

Physically Unhealthy Days 

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

more often than the average American and the same as the average adult in non-Appalachian 

South Carolina. 

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2 

Mentally Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian South Carolina reports feeling mentally unhealthy 11 percent 

more often than the average American and the same as the average adult in non-Appalachian 

South Carolina. 

HIV Prevalence 

 Appalachian South Carolina’s HIV rate is 36 percent lower than the national rate and 48 

percent lower than the rate in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Diabetes Prevalence 

 The prevalence of diabetes in Appalachian South Carolina is 12.1 percent, a mark higher than 

the 9.8 percent experienced by the nation as a whole, but lower than the 12.4 percent 

experienced in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Obesity Prevalence 

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

than the 27.4 percent experienced in the nation as a whole, but lower than the 32.2 percent 

experienced in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 

Depression Prevalence 

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

South Carolina is 17.3 percent, compared to 15.4 percent for the United States as a whole and 

13.2 percent for non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Suicide Incidence 

 The suicide rate in Appalachian South Carolina is 30 percent higher than the national rate, and 

25 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Excessive Drinking 

 The percentage of adults reporting excessive drinking in Appalachian South Carolina (15.2 

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

non-Appalachian South Carolina (16.4). 

Poisoning Deaths 

 The poisoning mortality rate in Appalachian South Carolina is 34 percent higher than the 

national rate, and 50 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Opioid Prescription Rates 

 Of all Medicare prescription claims in Appalachian South Carolina, 7.8 percent are for opioids, 

compared to 5.3 percent in the United States as a whole, and 5.9 percent in non-Appalachian 

South Carolina. 
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3 

CHILD HEALTH 

Infant Mortality 

 The infant mortality rate is 7 percent higher in Appalachian South Carolina than in the nation as a 

whole, and 14 percent lower than in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Low Birth Weight Incidence 

 The incidence of low birth weight in Appalachian South Carolina is 9.1 percent of all newborns, a 

higher percentage than the national average of 8.1 percent, but lower than the non-Appalachian 

South Carolina average of 10.1 percent. 

Teen Birth Rate 

 The teen birth rate in Appalachian South Carolina is 28 percent higher than the national rate and 3 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS 

Average Travel Time to Work 

 The average travel time to work in Appalachian South Carolina is 22.3 minutes, which is lower 

than the national average of 25.7 minutes, and lower than the average in non-Appalachian 

South Carolina of 24.4 minutes. 

Grocery Store Availability 

 There are 19 percent fewer grocery stores per 1,000 population in Appalachian South Carolina 

than in the United States as a whole, and 11 percent fewer than in non-Appalachian South 

Carolina. 

Student-Teacher Ratio 

 Appalachian South Carolina’s student-teacher ratio is 15.7, which is a lower (better) ratio than 

the national average of 16.5, and a higher (worse) ratio than the non-Appalachian South 

Carolina average of 15.4. 

LIFESTYLE 

Physical Inactivity 

 In Appalachian South Carolina, 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 25.0 percent 

reported in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Smoking 

 In Appalachian South Carolina, 18.8 percent of all adults report being cigarette smokers, a 

figure higher than the 16.3 percent at the national level, and the 19.1 percent in nonAppalachian South Carolina. 
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4 

Chlamydia Rate 

 Chlamydia incidence in Appalachian South Carolina is 1 percent higher than the national 

average, and 22 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS 

Primary Care Physicians 

 The supply of primary care physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian South Carolina 

is 3 percent higher than the national average, and 23 percent higher than the average in nonAppalachian South Carolina. 

Mental Health Providers 

 

 The supply of mental health providers per 100,000 population in Appalachian South Carolina is 

33 percent lower than the national average, and 16 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian South Carolina. 

Specialty Physicians 

 The supply of specialty physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian South Carolina is 20 

percent lower than the national average, and 3 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian South Carolina. 

Dentists 

 The supply of dentists per 100,000 population in Appalachian South Carolina is 22 percent 

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

South Carolina. 

Uninsured Population 

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

is 19.0 percent, which is higher (worse) than the national average of 16.8 percent, and the nonAppalachian South Carolina average of 18.6 percent. 

Heart Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for heart disease in Appalachian South Carolina are 5 percent lower than 

the national average, and 10 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian South 

Carolina. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for COPD in Appalachian South Carolina are 4 percent higher than the 

national average, and 9 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 
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5 

QUALITY OF CARE 

Electronic Prescribing 

 Electronic prescribing is more common in Appalachian South Carolina (70.5 percent of 

prescriptions) than in the nation as a whole (65.8 percent), and more common than in nonAppalachian South Carolina (66.3 percent of prescriptions). 

Mammogram Screenings 

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

Appalachian South Carolina is higher than the percentage at the national level. In Appalachian 

South Carolina, 67.6 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 66.6 

percent in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Diabetes Monitoring 

 Diabetes monitoring is higher among Medicare patients in Appalachian South Carolina (86.7 

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

Medicare patients in non-Appalachian South Carolina (85.5 percent). 

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS 

Median Household Income 

 The median household income in Appalachian South Carolina is 19 percent less than the 

national median, and 2 percent less than the median income in non-Appalachian South 

Carolina. 

Poverty 

 The household poverty rate is 16.8 percent in Appalachian South Carolina, a figure higher than 

the national rate of 15.6 percent, and lower than the 18.4 percent in non-Appalachian South 

Carolina. 

Disability 

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

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

Carolina (6.1 percent). 

Education 

 In Appalachian South Carolina, 59.6 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 60.2 percent 

in non-Appalachian South Carolina. 

Social Associations 

 The social association rate in Appalachian South Carolina is 45 percent higher than the rate found 

in the nation as a whole, and 18 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian South Carolina.