Key Findings 

 APPALACHIAN MISSISSIPPI 

HEALTH 

DISPARITIES

1 

MORTALITY 

Heart Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian Mississippi’s heart disease mortality rate is 40 percent 

higher than the national rate and the same as the rate in nonAppalachian Mississippi. 

Cancer Deaths 

 Appalachian Mississippi’s cancer mortality rate is 17 percent higher 

than the national rate and 2 percent lower than the rate in nonAppalachian Mississippi. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Deaths 

 Appalachian Mississippi’s COPD mortality rate is 39 percent higher 

than the national rate and 11 percent higher than the rate in nonAppalachian Mississippi. 

Injury Deaths 

 Appalachian Mississippi’s injury mortality rate is 52 percent higher 

than the national rate and 8 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Mississippi.

Stroke Deaths 

 Appalachian Mississippi’s stroke mortality rate 38 percent higher than the national rate and 9 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

Diabetes Deaths 

 Appalachian Mississippi’s diabetes mortality rate is 31 percent higher than the national rate and 

14 percent lower than the rate in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

Years of Potential Life Lost 

 Appalachian Mississippi’s YPLL rate is 48 percent higher than the national rate and 3 percent 

lower than the rate in non-Appalachian Mississippi.

MORBIDITY 

Physically Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian Mississippi reports feeling physically unhealthy 14 percent 

more often than the average American and 2 percent more often than the average adult in nonAppalachian Mississippi. 

Mentally Unhealthy Days 

 The average adult in Appalachian Mississippi reports feeling mentally unhealthy 11 percent 

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

 APPALACHIAN MISSISSIPPI
CREATING A CULTURE OF 

HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN MISSISSIPPI

2 

HIV Prevalence 

 Appalachian Mississippi’s HIV rate is 47 percent lower than the national rate and 55 percent 

lower than the rate in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

Diabetes Prevalence 

 The prevalence of diabetes in Appalachian Mississippi is 13.8 percent, a mark higher than the 

9.8 percent experienced by the nation as a whole, and the 13.6 percent experienced in nonAppalachian Mississippi. 

Obesity Prevalence 

 The prevalence of adult obesity is 34.8 percent in Appalachian Mississippi, a mark higher than 

the 27.4 percent experienced in the nation as a whole, but slightly lower than the 35.4 percent 

experienced in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 

Depression Prevalence 

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

Mississippi is 13.6 percent, compared to 15.4 percent for the United States as a whole and 14.5 

percent for non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

Suicide Incidence 

 The suicide rate in Appalachian Mississippi is 13 percent higher than the national rate, and 4 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

Excessive Drinking 

 The percentage of adults reporting excessive drinking in Appalachian Mississippi (13.6 

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

in non-Appalachian Mississippi (13.8).

Poisoning Deaths 

 The poisoning mortality rate in Appalachian Mississippi is 21 percent lower than the national 

rate, and 7 percent lower than the rate in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

Opioid Prescription Rates 

 Of all Medicare prescription claims in Appalachian Mississippi, 5.7 percent are for opioids, 

compared to 5.3 percent in the United States as a whole, and 6.2 percent in non-Appalachian 

Mississippi. 

CHILD HEALTH 

Infant Mortality 

 The infant mortality rate is 54 percent higher in Appalachian Mississippi than in the nation as a 

whole, and the same rate as in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN MISSISSIPPI

3 

Low Birth Weight Incidence 

 The incidence of low birth weight in Appalachian Mississippi is 11.5 percent of all newborns, a 

higher percentage than the national average of 8.1 percent, but slightly lower than the nonAppalachian Mississippi average of 11.9 percent. 

Teen Birth Rate 

 The teen birth rate in Appalachian Mississippi is 68 percent higher than the national rate and 4 

percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS 

Average Travel Time to Work 

 The average travel time to work in Appalachian Mississippi is 23.4 minutes, which is lower 

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

Mississippi of 24.4 minutes. 

Grocery Store Availability 

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

in the United States as a whole, and 27 percent more than in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

Student-Teacher Ratio 

 Appalachian Mississippi’s student-teacher ratio is 12.6, which is a lower (better) ratio than the 

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

average of 14.2. 

LIFESTYLE 

Physical Inactivity 

 In Appalachian Mississippi, 35.1 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 33.0 percent 

reported in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

Smoking 

 In Appalachian Mississippi, 20.1 percent of all adults report being cigarette smokers, a figure 

higher than the 16.3 percent at the national level, and the same as the 20.1 percent in nonAppalachian Mississippi. 

Chlamydia Rate 

 Chlamydia incidence in Appalachian Mississippi is 18 percent higher than the national average, 

and 13 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS 

Primary Care Physicians 

 The supply of primary care physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian Mississippi is 44 

percent lower than the national average, and 26 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian Mississippi. 
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HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN MISSISSIPPI

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Mental Health Providers 

 The supply of mental health providers per 100,000 population in Appalachian Mississippi is 38 

percent lower than the national average, and 3 percent higher than the average in nonAppalachian Mississippi. 

Specialty Physicians 

 The supply of specialty physicians per 100,000 population in Appalachian Mississippi is 59 

percent lower than the national average, and 44 percent lower than the average in nonAppalachian Mississippi. 

Dentists 

 The supply of dentists per 100,000 population in Appalachian Mississippi is 48 percent lower 

than the national average, and 27 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian 

Mississippi. 

Uninsured Population 

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

20.5 percent, which is higher (worse) than the national average of 16.8 percent, and the nonAppalachian Mississippi average of 19.9 percent. 

Heart Disease Hospitalizations 

 Hospitalization rates for heart disease in Appalachian Mississippi are 7 percent higher than the 

national average, and 10 percent lower than the average in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hospitalizations 

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

national average, and 12 percent higher than the average in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

QUALITY OF CARE 

Electronic Prescribing 

 Electronic prescribing is less common in Appalachian Mississippi (61.3 percent of 

prescriptions) than in the nation as a whole (65.8 percent), but more common than in nonAppalachian Mississippi (55.1 percent of prescriptions). 

Mammogram Screenings 

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

Appalachian Mississippi is lower than the percentage at the national level. In Appalachian 

Mississippi, 56.9 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 57.6 

percent in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

Diabetes Monitoring 

 Diabetes monitoring is higher among Medicare patients in Appalachian Mississippi (87.0 percent) 

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

Medicare patients in non-Appalachian Mississippi (82.9 percent). 
CREATING A CULTURE OF 

HEALTH IN APPALACHIA Key Findings | APPALACHIAN MISSISSIPPI

5 

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS 

Median Household Income 

 The median household income in Appalachian Mississippi is 34 percent less than the national 

median, and 11 percent less than the median income in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

Poverty 

 The household poverty rate is 22.5 percent in Appalachian Mississippi, a figure higher than the 

national rate of 15.6 percent, and slightly higher than the 22.0 percent in non-Appalachian 

Mississippi.

Disability 

 The percentage of people receiving disability benefits is higher in Appalachian Mississippi (9.7 

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

(8.0 percent). 

Education 

 In Appalachian Mississippi, 54.2 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 58.6 percent 

in non-Appalachian Mississippi. 

Social Associations 

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

in the nation as a whole, and 6 percent higher than the rate in non-Appalachian Mississippi.