Key Findings 

APPALACHIAN OHIO 

HEALTH 

DISPARITIES

1 

MORTALITY

Heart Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian Ohio’s heart disease mortality rate is 22 percent higher 

than the national rate and 15 percent higher than the rate in nonAppalachian Ohio. 

Cancer Deaths 

 Appalachian Ohio’s cancer mortality rate is 15 percent higher than 

the national rate and 5 percent higher than the rate in nonAppalachian Ohio. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian Ohio’s COPD mortality rate is 35 percent higher than the national rate and 15 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Injury Deaths 

 Appalachian Ohio’s injury mortality rate is 29 percent higher than the national rate and 21 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Ohio.

Stroke Deaths 

 Appalachian Ohio’s stroke mortality rate is 17 percent higher than the national rate and 8 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Diabetes Deaths 

 Appalachian Ohio’s diabetes mortality rate is 28 percent higher than the national rate and 8 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Years of Potential Life Lost 

 Appalachian Ohio’s YPLL rate is 28 percent higher than the national rate and 16 percent higher 

than the rate in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

MORBIDITY

Physically Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian Ohio reports feeling physically unhealthy 11 percent more 

often than the average American and 8 percent more often than the average adult in nonAppalachian Ohio. 

 

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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN OHIO

2 

Mentally Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian Ohio reports feeling mentally unhealthy 17 percent more 

often than the average American and 5 percent more often than the average adult in nonAppalachian Ohio. 

HIV Prevalence 

 Appalachian Ohio’s HIV rate is 75 percent lower than the national rate and 61 percent lower 

than the rate in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Diabetes Prevalence 

 The prevalence of diabetes in Appalachian Ohio is 12.7 percent, a mark higher than the 9.8 

percent experienced by the nation as a whole, and the 11.0 percent experienced in nonAppalachian Ohio. 

Obesity Prevalence 

 The prevalence of adult obesity is 32.7 percent in Appalachian Ohio, a mark higher than the 

27.4 percent experienced in the nation as a whole, and the 30.0 percent experienced in nonAppalachian Ohio. 

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Depression Prevalence 

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

Ohio is 18.7 percent, compared to 15.4 percent for the United States as a whole and 18.0 

percent for non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Suicide Incidence 

 The suicide rate in Appalachian Ohio is 19 percent higher than the national rate, and 26 percent 

higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Excessive Drinking 

 The percentage of adults reporting excessive drinking in Appalachian Ohio (16.8 percent) is 

lower than in the nation as a whole (17.7 percent), and lower than the percentage in nonAppalachian Ohio (18.1). 

Poisoning Deaths 

 The poisoning mortality rate in Appalachian Ohio is 48 percent higher than the national rate, 

and 18 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Opioid Prescription Rates 

 Of all Medicare prescription claims in Appalachian Ohio, 5.4 percent are for opioids, compared 

to 5.3 percent in the United States as a whole, and 5.4 percent in non-Appalachian Ohio. 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN OHIO

3 

CHILD HEALTH 

Infant Mortality 

 The infant mortality rate is 21 percent higher in Appalachian Ohio than in the nation as a whole, 

and 1 percent lower than in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Low Birth Weight Incidence 

 The incidence of low birth weight in Appalachian Ohio is 8.4 percent of all newborns, a higher 

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

average of 8.6 percent. 

Teen Birth Rate 

 The teen birth rate in Appalachian Ohio is 11 percent higher than the national rate and 13 percent 

higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS 

Average Travel Time to Work 

 The average travel time to work in Appalachian Ohio is 25.1 minutes, which is comparable to 

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

22.7 minutes. 

Grocery Store Availability 

 There are 10 percent fewer grocery stores per 1,000 population in Appalachian Ohio than in the 

United States as a whole, and 6 percent more than in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Student-Teacher Ratio 

 Appalachian Ohio’s student-teacher ratio is 15.4, which is a lower (better) ratio than the 

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

16.5. 

LIFESTYLE 

Physical Inactivity 

 In Appalachian Ohio, 30.1 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 25.5 percent reported in 

non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Smoking 

 In Appalachian Ohio, 20.9 percent of all adults report being cigarette smokers, a figure higher 

than the 16.3 percent at the national level, and the 18.9 percent in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Chlamydia Rate 

 Chlamydia incidence in Appalachian Ohio is 37 percent lower than the national average, and 42 

percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Ohio. 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN OHIO

4 

HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS 

Primary Care Physicians 

 The supply of primary care physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian Ohio is 25 

percent lower than the national average, and 30 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian Ohio. 

Mental Health Providers 

 The supply of mental health providers per 100,000 population in Appalachian Ohio is 51 percent 

lower than the national average, and 41 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

 

Specialty Physicians 

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

lower than the national average, and 65 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian 

Ohio. 

Dentists 

 The supply of dentists per 100,000 population in Appalachian Ohio is 36 percent lower than the 

national average, and 33 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Uninsured Population 

 The percentage of the population under age 65 that is uninsured in Appalachian Ohio is 13.9 

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

than the non-Appalachian Ohio average of 12.9 percent. 

Heart Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for heart disease in Appalachian Ohio are 40 percent higher than the 

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

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for COPD in Appalachian Ohio are 42 percent higher than the national 

average, and 21 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

QUALITY OF CARE 

Electronic Prescribing 

 Electronic prescribing is less common in Appalachian Ohio (64.8 percent of prescriptions) than 

in the nation as a whole (65.8 percent), and less common than in non-Appalachian Ohio (74.2 

percent of prescriptions). 

Mammogram Screenings 

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

Appalachian Ohio is lower than the percentage at the national level. In Appalachian Ohio, 58.5 

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 60.4 percent in non-Appalachian 

Ohio. 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN OHIO

5 

Diabetes Monitoring 

 Diabetes monitoring is about the same among Medicare patients in Appalachian Ohio (84.6 

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

lower than among Medicare patients in non-Appalachian Ohio (85.1 percent). 

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS 

Median Household Income 

 The median household income in Appalachian Ohio is 22 percent less than the national median, 

and 15 percent less than the median income in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Poverty 

 The household poverty rate is 18.1 percent in Appalachian Ohio, a figure higher than the 

national rate of 15.6 percent, and higher than the 15.3 percent in non-Appalachian Ohio. 

Disability 

 The percentage of people receiving disability benefits is higher in Appalachian Ohio (7.3 

percent) than in the United States as a whole (5.1 percent) and in non-Appalachian Ohio (5.3 

percent). 

Education 

 In Appalachian Ohio, 52.2 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 65.3 percent in nonAppalachian Ohio. 

Social Associations 

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

nation as a whole, and 16 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Ohio.