Key Findings 

 APPALACHIAN NEW YORK 

HEALTH 

DISPARITIES

1 

MORTALITY 

Heart Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian New York’s heart disease mortality rate is 15 

percent higher than the national rate and 2 percent higher 

than the rate in non-Appalachian New York. 

Cancer Deaths 

 Appalachian New York’s cancer mortality rate is 2 percent 

higher than the national rate and 8 percent higher than the 

rate in non-Appalachian New York. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian New York’s COPD mortality rate is 18 

percent higher than the national rate and 69 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian 

New York. 

Injury Deaths 

 Appalachian New York’s injury mortality rate is 12 percent lower than the national rate and 36 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian New York.

Stroke Deaths 

 Appalachian New York’s stroke mortality rate 8 percent lower than the national rate and 35 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian New York. 

Diabetes Deaths 

 Appalachian New York’s diabetes mortality rate is 9 percent lower than the national rate and 11 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian New York. 

Years of Potential Life Lost 

 Appalachian New York’s YPLL rate is 2 percent lower than the national rate and 20 percent 

higher than the rate in non-Appalachian New York.

MORBIDITY 

Physically Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian New York reports feeling physically unhealthy 3 percent less 

often than the average American and 3 percent less often than the average adult in nonAppalachian New York. 

Mentally Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian New York reports feeling mentally unhealthy 3 percent more 

often than the average American and 3 percent more often than the average adult in nonAppalachian New York. 

 APPALACHIAN NEW YORK
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN NEW YORK

2 

HIV Prevalence 

 Appalachian New York’s HIV rate is 54 percent lower than the national rate and 80 percent 

lower than the rate in non-Appalachian New York.

Diabetes Prevalence 

 The prevalence of diabetes in Appalachian New York is 10.2 percent, a mark higher than the 

9.8 percent experienced by the nation as a whole, and the 9.6 percent experienced in nonAppalachian New York. 

Obesity Prevalence 

 The prevalence of adult obesity is 27.9 percent in Appalachian New York, a mark slightly 

higher than the 27.4 percent experienced in the nation as a whole, and higher than the 24.0 

percent experienced in non-Appalachian New York. 

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 

Depression Prevalence 

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

New York is 16.0 percent, compared to 15.4 percent for the United States as a whole and 14.5 

percent for non-Appalachian New York. 

Suicide Incidence 

 The suicide rate in Appalachian New York is 6 percent lower than the national rate, and 54 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian New York. 

Excessive Drinking 

 The percentage of adults reporting excessive drinking in Appalachian New York (18.4 percent) 

is higher than in the nation as a whole (17.7 percent), and higher than the percentage in nonAppalachian New York (17.7).

Poisoning Deaths 

 The poisoning mortality rate in Appalachian New York is 19 percent lower than the national 

rate, and 10 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian New York. 

Opioid Prescription Rates 

 Of all Medicare prescription claims in Appalachian New York, 4.0 percent are for opioids, 

compared to 5.3 percent in the United States as a whole, and 2.5 percent in non-Appalachian 

New York. 

CHILD HEALTH 

Infant Mortality 

 The infant mortality rate is 2 percent higher in Appalachian New York than in the nation as a 

whole, and 22 percent higher than in non-Appalachian New York.

 
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3 

Low Birth Weight Incidence 

 The incidence of low birth weight in Appalachian New York is 7.4 percent of all newborns, a 

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

York average of 8.1 percent. 

Teen Birth Rate 

 The teen birth rate in Appalachian New York is 29 percent lower than the national rate and 9 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian New York. 

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS 

Average Travel Time to Work 

 The average travel time to work in Appalachian New York is 20.7 minutes, which is lower than 

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

York of 32.7 minutes. 

Grocery Store Availability 

 There are the same number of grocery stores per 1,000 population in Appalachian New York as 

in the United States as a whole, and 60 percent fewer than in non-Appalachian New York. 

Student-Teacher Ratio 

 Appalachian New York’s student-teacher ratio is 11.2, which is a lower (better) ratio than the 

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

average of 13.6. 

LIFESTYLE 

Physical Inactivity 

 In Appalachian New York, 24.7 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 24.2 percent 

reported in non-Appalachian New York. 

Smoking 

 In Appalachian New York, 15.8 percent of all adults report being cigarette smokers, a figure 

lower than the 16.3 percent at the national level, and higher than the 14.3 percent in nonAppalachian New York. 

Chlamydia Rate 

 Chlamydia incidence in Appalachian New York is 29 percent lower than the national average, 

and 38 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian New York. 

HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS 

Primary Care Physicians 

 The supply of primary care physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian New York is 15 

percent lower than the national average, and 24 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian New York. 

 
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Mental Health Providers 

 The supply of mental health providers per 100,000 population in Appalachian New York is 14 

percent lower than the national average, and 28 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian New York. 

Specialty Physicians 

 The supply of specialty physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian New York is 35 

percent lower than the national average, and 56 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian New York. 

Dentists 

 The supply of dentists per 100,000 population in Appalachian New York is 28 percent lower 

than the national average, and 42 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian New 

York. 

Uninsured Population 

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

10.6 percent, which is lower (better) than the national average of 16.8 percent, and the nonAppalachian New York average of 12.4 percent. 

Heart Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for heart disease in Appalachian New York are 8 percent higher than the 

national average, and 2 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian New York.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for COPD in Appalachian New York are 14 percent higher than the 

national average, and 20 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian New York. 

QUALITY OF CARE 

Electronic Prescribing 

 Electronic prescribing is slightly less common in Appalachian New York (64.8 percent of 

prescriptions) than in the nation as a whole (65.8 percent), but more common than in nonAppalachian New York (57.9 percent of prescriptions). 

Mammogram Screenings 

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

Appalachian New York is higher than the percentage at the national level. In Appalachian New 

York, 64.8 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 61.2 percent in nonAppalachian New York. 

Diabetes Monitoring 

 Diabetes monitoring is higher among Medicare patients in Appalachian New York (86.4 percent) 

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

Medicare patients in non-Appalachian New York (85.0 percent). 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN NEW YORK

5 

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS 

Median Household Income 

 The median household income in Appalachian New York is 17 percent less than the national 

median, and 26 percent less than the median income in non-Appalachian New York. 

Poverty 

 The household poverty rate is 17.1 percent in Appalachian New York, a figure higher than the 

national rate of 15.6 percent, and higher than the 15.9 percent in non-Appalachian New York. 

Disability 

 The percentage of people receiving disability benefits is higher in Appalachian New York (6.6 

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

(5.3 percent). 

Education 

 In Appalachian New York, 61.6 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 66.0 percent 

in non-Appalachian New York. 

Social Associations 

 The social association rate in Appalachian New York is 37 percent higher than the rate found in 

the nation as a whole, and 70 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian New York.