Key Findings 

APPALACHIAN VIRGINIA 

HEALTH 

DISPARITIES

1 

MORTALITY 

Heart Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian Virginia’s heart disease mortality rate is 

24 percent higher than the national rate and 40 percent 

higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Cancer Deaths 

 Appalachian Virginia’s cancer mortality rate is 10 

percent higher than the national rate and 11 percent 

higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian Virginia’s COPD mortality rate is 36 percent higher than the national rate and 65 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Injury Deaths 

 Appalachian Virginia’s injury mortality rate is 45 percent higher than the national rate and 76 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Virginia.

Stroke Deaths 

 Appalachian Virginia’s stroke mortality rate is 13 percent higher than the national rate and 10 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Diabetes Deaths 

 Appalachian Virginia’s diabetes mortality rate is 22 percent higher than the national rate and 44 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Years of Potential Life Lost 

 Appalachian Virginia’s YPLL rate is 38 percent higher than the national rate and 54 percent 

higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

MORBIDITY 

Physically Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian Virginia reports feeling mentally unhealthy 6 percent more 

often than the average American and 19 percent more often than the average adult in nonAppalachian Virginia. 

 

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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN VIRGINIA

2 

Mentally Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian Virginia reports feeling mentally unhealthy the same as the 

average American and 20 percent more often than the average adult in non-Appalachian 

Virginia. 

HIV Prevalence 

 Appalachian Virginia’s HIV rate is 78 percent lower than the national rate and 76 percent lower 

than the rate in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Diabetes Prevalence 

 The prevalence of diabetes in Appalachian Virginia is 11.6 percent, a mark higher than the 9.8 

percent experienced by the nation as a whole, and the 9.6 percent experienced in nonAppalachian Virginia. 

Obesity Prevalence 

 The prevalence of adult obesity is 29.2 percent in Appalachian Virginia, a mark higher than the 

27.4 percent experienced in the nation as a whole, and the 27.1 percent experienced in nonAppalachian Virginia. 

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 

Depression Prevalence 

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

Virginia is 17.6 percent, compared to 15.4 percent for the United States as a whole and 13.3 

percent for non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Suicide Incidence 

 The suicide rate in Appalachian Virginia is 39 percent higher than the national rate, and 46 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Excessive Drinking 

 The percentage of adults reporting excessive drinking in Appalachian Virginia (15.6 percent) is 

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

(16.9). 

Poisoning Deaths 

 The poisoning mortality rate in Appalachian Virginia is 55 percent higher than the national rate, 

and 141 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Opioid Prescription Rates 

 Of all Medicare prescription claims in Appalachian Virginia, 6.5 percent are for opioids, 

compared to 5.3 percent in the United States as a whole, and 4.7 percent in non-Appalachian 

Virginia. 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN VIRGINIA

3 

CHILD HEALTH 

Infant Mortality 

 The infant mortality rate is 20 percent higher in Appalachian Virginia than in the nation as a 

whole, and 12 percent higher than in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Low Birth Weight Incidence 

 The incidence of low birth weight in Appalachian Virginia is 8.7 percent of all newborns, a 

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

Virginia average of 8.2 percent. 

Teen Birth Rate 

 The teen birth rate in Appalachian Virginia is 16 percent higher than the national rate and 50 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS 

Average Travel Time to Work 

 The average travel time to work in Appalachian Virginia is 23.6 minutes, which is lower than 

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

of 28.1 minutes. 

Grocery Store Availability 

 There are 5 percent fewer grocery stores per 1,000 population in Appalachian Virginia than in 

the United States as a whole, and 5 percent more than in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Student-Teacher Ratio 

 Appalachian Virginia’s student-teacher ratio is 13.3, which is a lower (better) ratio than the 

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

of 14.3. 

LIFESTYLE 

Physical Inactivity 

 In Appalachian Virginia, 27.5 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 21.5 percent 

reported in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Smoking 

 In Appalachian Virginia, 19.9 percent of all adults report being cigarette smokers, a figure 

higher than the 16.3 percent at the national level, and the 16.6 percent in non-Appalachian 

Virginia. 

Chlamydia Rate 

 Chlamydia incidence in Appalachian Virginia is 51 percent lower than the national average, 

and 50 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Virginia.
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN VIRGINIA

4 

HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS 

Primary Care Physicians 

 The supply of primary care physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian Virginia is 31 

percent lower than the national average, and 26 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian Virginia. 

Mental Health Providers 

 The supply of mental health providers per 100,000 population in Appalachian Virginia is 60 

percent lower than the national average, and 38 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian Virginia. 

Specialty Physicians 

 The supply of specialty physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian Virginia is 60 

percent lower than the national average, and 61 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian Virginia. 

Dentists 

 The supply of dentists per 100,000 population in Appalachian Virginia is 47 percent lower than 

the national average, and 46 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Uninsured Population 

 The percentage of the population under age 65 that is uninsured in Appalachian Virginia is 15.8 

percent, which is lower (better) than the national average of 16.8 percent, but higher (worse) 

than the non-Appalachian Virginia average of 13.9 percent. 

Heart Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for heart disease in Appalachian Virginia are 28 percent higher than the 

national average, and 35 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for COPD in Appalachian Virginia are 27 percent higher than the national 

average, and 53 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

QUALITY OF CARE 

Electronic Prescribing 

 Electronic prescribing is less common in Appalachian Virginia (57.7 percent of prescriptions) 

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

Virginia (67.6 percent of prescriptions). 

Mammogram Screenings 

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

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

Virginia, 63.1 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 62.4 

percent in non-Appalachian Virginia. 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN VIRGINIA

5 

Diabetes Monitoring 

 Diabetes monitoring is higher among Medicare patients in Appalachian Virginia (87.8 percent) 

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

Medicare patients in non-Appalachian Virginia (86.0 percent). 

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS 

Median Household Income 

 The median household income in Appalachian Virginia is 28 percent less than the national 

median, and 45 percent less than the median income in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Poverty 

 The household poverty rate is 19.2 percent in Appalachian Virginia, a figure higher than the 

national rate of 15.6 percent, and higher than the 11.3 percent in non-Appalachian Virginia. 

Disability 

 The percentage of people receiving disability benefits is higher in Appalachian Virginia (9.3 

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

(3.7 percent). 

Education 

 In Appalachian Virginia, 56.4 percent of adults ages 25 to 44 have some type of post-secondary 

education, compared to the 63.3 percent in the nation as a whole and the 68.7 percent in nonAppalachian Virginia. 

Social Associations 

 The social association rate in Appalachian Virginia is 39 percent higher than the rate found in 

the nation as a whole, and 17 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Virginia.