Key Findings 

 APPALACHIAN NORTH CAROLINA 

HEALTH 

DISPARITIES

1 

MORTALITY 

Heart Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian North Carolina’s heart disease mortality 

rate is 5 percent lower than the national rate and 2 

percent lower than the rate in non-Appalachian North 

Carolina. 

Cancer Deaths 

 Appalachian North Carolina’s cancer mortality rate is 

4 percent higher than the national rate and the same as the rate in non-Appalachian North 

Carolina. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian North Carolina’s COPD mortality rate is 26 percent higher than the national rate 

and 21 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

Injury Deaths 

 Appalachian North Carolina’s injury mortality rate is 29 percent higher than the national rate and 

20 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian North Carolina.

Stroke Deaths 

 Appalachian North Carolina’s stroke mortality rate is 13 percent higher than the national rate 

and 3 percent lower than the rate in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

Diabetes Deaths 

 Appalachian North Carolina’s diabetes mortality rate is 8 percent lower than the national rate 

and 14 percent lower than the rate in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

Years of Potential Life Lost 

 Appalachian North Carolina’s YPLL rate is 15 percent higher than the national rate and 6 

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

MORBIDITY 

Physically Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian North Carolina reports feeling physically unhealthy 8 percent 

more often than the average American and 3 percent more often than the average adult in nonAppalachian North Carolina. 

Mentally Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian North Carolina reports feeling mentally unhealthy 6 percent 

more often than the average American and 3 percent more often than the average adult in nonAppalachian North Carolina. 

APPALACHIAN NORTH CAROLINA
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN NORTH CAROLINA

2 

HIV Prevalence 

 Appalachian North Carolina’s HIV rate is 47 percent lower than the national rate and 47 

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

Diabetes Prevalence 

 The prevalence of diabetes in Appalachian North Carolina is 11.3 percent, a mark higher than 

the 9.8 percent experienced by the nation as a whole, and the 10.9 percent experienced in nonAppalachian North Carolina. 

Obesity Prevalence 

 The prevalence of adult obesity is 27.7 percent in Appalachian North Carolina, a mark slightly 

higher than the 27.4 percent experienced in the nation as a whole, and lower than the 29.4 

percent experienced in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 

Depression Prevalence 

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

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

15.2 percent for non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

Suicide Incidence 

 The suicide rate in Appalachian North Carolina is 28 percent higher than the national rate, and 

34 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

Excessive Drinking 

 The percentage of adults reporting excessive drinking in Appalachian North Carolina (14.5 

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

non-Appalachian North Carolina (15.5).

Poisoning Deaths 

 The poisoning mortality rate in Appalachian North Carolina is 38 percent higher than the 

national rate, and 53 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

Opioid Prescription Rates 

 Of all Medicare prescription claims in Appalachian North Carolina, 6.0 percent are for opioids, 

compared to 5.3 percent in the United States as a whole, and 5.6 percent in non-Appalachian 

North Carolina. 

CHILD HEALTH 

Infant Mortality 

 The infant mortality rate is 25 percent higher in Appalachian North Carolina than in the nation as 

a whole, and 3 percent higher than in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

 
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3 

Low Birth Weight Incidence 

 The incidence of low birth weight in Appalachian North Carolina is 8.6 percent of all newborns, a 

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

North Carolina average of 9.1 percent. 

Teen Birth Rate 

 The teen birth rate in Appalachian North Carolina is 16 percent higher than the national rate and 2 

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

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS 

Average Travel Time to Work 

 The average travel time to work in Appalachian North Carolina is 22.5 minutes, which is lower 

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

North Carolina of 24.0 minutes. 

Grocery Store Availability 

 There are 10 percent fewer grocery stores per 1,000 population in Appalachian North Carolina 

than in the United States as a whole, and the same as in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

Student-Teacher Ratio 

 Appalachian North Carolina’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 North 

Carolina average of 15.2. 

LIFESTYLE 

Physical Inactivity 

 In Appalachian North Carolina, 25.9 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 24.8 percent 

reported in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

Smoking 

 In Appalachian North Carolina, 18.7 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 nonAppalachian North Carolina. 

Chlamydia Rate 

 Chlamydia incidence in Appalachian North Carolina is 24 percent lower than the national 

average, and 37 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS 

Primary Care Physicians 

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

is 5 percent higher than the national average, and 16 percent higher than the average in nonAppalachian North Carolina. 
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4 

Mental Health Providers 

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

20 percent higher than the national average, and 10 percent higher than the average in nonAppalachian North Carolina. 

Specialty Physicians 

 The supply of specialty physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian North Carolina is 4 

percent lower than the national average, and 4 percent higher than the average in nonAppalachian North Carolina. 

Dentists 

 The supply of dentists per 100,000 population in Appalachian North Carolina is 29 percent 

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

North Carolina. 

Uninsured Population 

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

is 19.5 percent, which is higher (worse) than the national average of 16.8 percent, and the nonAppalachian North Carolina average of 17.9 percent. 

Heart Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for heart disease in Appalachian North Carolina are 3 percent lower than 

the national average, and 11 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian North 

Carolina. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for COPD in Appalachian North Carolina are 7 percent higher than the 

national average, and 8 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

QUALITY OF CARE 

Electronic Prescribing 

 Electronic prescribing is more common in Appalachian North Carolina (76.3 percent of 

prescriptions) than in the nation as a whole (65.8 percent), and more common than in nonAppalachian North Carolina (72.8 percent of prescriptions). 

Mammogram Screenings 

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

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

North Carolina, 67.0 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 68.3 

percent in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

Diabetes Monitoring 

 Diabetes monitoring is higher among Medicare patients in Appalachian North Carolina (88.8 

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

lower than among Medicare patients in non-Appalachian North Carolina (89.4 percent). 
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5 

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS 

Median Household Income 

 The median household income in Appalachian North Carolina is 25 percent less than the 

national median, and 14 percent less than the median income in non-Appalachian North 

Carolina. 

Poverty 

 The household poverty rate is 18.2 percent in Appalachian North Carolina, a figure higher than 

the national rate of 15.6 percent, and higher than the 17.1 percent in non-Appalachian North 

Carolina.

Disability 

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

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

Carolina (5.5 percent). 

Education 

 In Appalachian North Carolina, 59.3 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 64.6 percent 

in non-Appalachian North Carolina. 

Social Associations 

 The social association rate in Appalachian North Carolina is 47 percent higher than the rate 

found in the nation as a whole, and 23 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian North 

Carolina.