Key Findings 

APPALACHIAN ALABAMA 

HEALTH 

DISPARITIES

1 

MORTALITY 

Heart Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian Alabama’s heart disease mortality rate is 33 percent 

higher than the national rate and 3 percent higher than the rate in 

non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Cancer Deaths 

 Appalachian Alabama’s cancer mortality rate is 10 percent higher 

than the national rate and 4 percent lower than the rate in nonAppalachian Alabama. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian Alabama’s COPD mortality rate is 35 percent higher 

than the national rate and 12 percent higher than the rate in nonAppalachian Alabama. 

Injury Deaths 

 Appalachian Alabama’s injury mortality rate is 31 percent higher than the national rate and 11 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Alabama.

Stroke Deaths 

 Appalachian Alabama’s stroke mortality rate is 33 percent higher than the national rate and the 

same as the rate in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Diabetes Deaths 

 Appalachian Alabama’s diabetes mortality rate is the same as the national rate and 29 percent 

lower than the rate in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Years of Potential Life Lost 

 Appalachian Alabama’s YPLL rate is 45 percent higher than the national rate and 2 percent 

higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

MORBIDITY 

Physically Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian Alabama reports feeling physically unhealthy 28 percent 

more often than the average American and 4 percent less often than the average adult in nonAppalachian Alabama. 

Mentally Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian Alabama reports feeling mentally unhealthy 25 percent more 

often than the average American and 6 percent less often than the average adult in nonAppalachian Alabama. 

 APPALACHIAN ALABAMA 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN ALABAMA

2 

HIV Prevalence 

 Appalachian Alabama’s HIV rate is 28 percent lower than the national rate and 32 percent 

lower than the rate in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Diabetes Prevalence 

 The prevalence of diabetes in Appalachian Alabama is 12.9 percent, a mark higher than the 9.8 

percent experienced by the nation as a whole, but lower than the 13.9 percent experienced in 

non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Obesity Prevalence 

 The prevalence of adult obesity is 33.3 percent in Appalachian Alabama, a mark higher than the 

27.4 percent experienced in the nation as a whole, but lower than the 34.1 percent experienced 

in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 

Depression Prevalence 

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

Alabama is 14.2 percent, compared to 15.4 percent for the United States as a whole and 11.6 

percent for non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Suicide Incidence 

 The suicide rate in Appalachian Alabama is 15 percent higher than the national rate, and 8 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Excessive Drinking 

 The percentage of adults reporting excessive drinking in Appalachian Alabama (14.0 percent) 

is lower than in the nation as a whole (17.7 percent), and higher than the percentage in nonAppalachian Alabama (13.7). 

Poisoning Deaths 

 The poisoning mortality rate in Appalachian Alabama is 4 percent higher than the national rate, 

and 24 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Opioid Prescription Rates 

 Of all Medicare prescription claims in Appalachian Alabama, 7.5 percent are for opioids, 

compared to 5.3 percent in the United States as a whole, and 7.4 percent in non-Appalachian 

Alabama. 

CHILD HEALTH 

Infant Mortality 

 The infant mortality rate is 46 percent higher in Appalachian Alabama than in the nation as a 

whole, and 9 percent higher than in non-Appalachian Alabama.

Low Birth Weight Incidence 

 The incidence of low birth weight in Appalachian Alabama is 10.0 percent of all newborns, a 

higher percentage than the national average of 8.1 percent, but a lower percentage than the nonAppalachian Alabama average of 10.5. 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN ALABAMA

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Teen Birth Rate 

 The teen birth rate in Appalachian Alabama is 25 percent higher than the national rate and 10 

percent lower than the rate in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS 

Average Travel Time to Work 

 The average travel time to work in Appalachian Alabama is 24.8 minutes, which is lower than 

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

of 23.4 minutes. 

Grocery Store Availability 

 There are 24 percent fewer grocery stores per 1,000 population in Appalachian Alabama than in 

the United States as a whole, and the same as in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Student-Teacher Ratio 

 Appalachian Alabama’s student-teacher ratio is 13.5, which is a lower (better) ratio than the 

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

of 15.6. 

LIFESTYLE 

Physical Inactivity 

 In Appalachian Alabama, 29.4 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 29.1 percent 

reported in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Smoking 

 In Appalachian Alabama, 19.3 percent of all adults report being cigarette smokers, a figure 

higher than the 16.3 percent at the national level, but lower than the 20.4 percent in nonAppalachian Alabama. 

Chlamydia Rate 

 Chlamydia incidence in Appalachian Alabama is 21 percent higher than the national average, 

and 29 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS 

Primary Care Physicians 

 The supply of primary care physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian Alabama is 13 

percent lower than the national average, and 11 percent higher than the average in nonAppalachian Alabama.

Mental Health Providers 

 The supply of mental health providers per 100,000 population in Appalachian Alabama is 55 

percent lower than the national average, and 25 percent higher than the average in nonAppalachian Alabama. 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN ALABAMA

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Specialty Physicians 

 The supply of specialty physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian Alabama is 16 

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

Dentists 

 The supply of dentists per 100,000 population in Appalachian Alabama is 26 percent lower 

than the national average, and 14 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Uninsured Population 

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

15.6 percent, which is lower (better) than the national average of 16.8 percent, and the nonAppalachian Alabama average of 16.4 percent. 

Heart Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for heart disease in Appalachian Alabama are 12 percent higher than the 

national average, and 3 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for COPD in Appalachian Alabama are 17 percent higher than the national 

average, and 17 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

QUALITY OF CARE 

Electronic Prescribing 

 Electronic prescribing is less common in Appalachian Alabama (62.8 percent of prescriptions) 

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

Alabama (61.7 percent of prescriptions). 

Mammogram Screenings 

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

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

Alabama, 63.6 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 62.5 

percent in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Diabetes Monitoring 

 Diabetes monitoring is slightly higher among Medicare patients in Appalachian Alabama (85.7 

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

than among Medicare patients in non-Appalachian Alabama (83.9 percent). 

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS 

Median Household Income 

 The median household income in Appalachian Alabama is 18 percent less than the national 

median, and 12 percent higher than the median income in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN ALABAMA

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Poverty 

 The household poverty rate is 18.0 percent in Appalachian Alabama, a figure higher than the 

national rate of 15.6 percent, but lower than the 21.4 percent in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Disability 

 The percentage of people receiving disability benefits is higher in Appalachian Alabama (8.1 

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

Alabama (8.7 percent). 

Education 

 In Appalachian Alabama, 58.7 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 56.7 percent 

in non-Appalachian Alabama. 

Social Associations 

 The social association rate in Appalachian Alabama is 34 percent higher than the rate found in 

the nation as a whole, and 2 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Alabama.