You've probably heard that heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Meanwhile, a controversial new study suggests that eating too much chicken can increase the risk of mortality. In today's world, the amount of research on health risks and mortality can be overwhelming. Now, a new study, published on Monday in the JAMA Network Open, found that geography plays a significant role too.
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Other studies have hinted at geography as a factor, but the data made it even more clear in this one. The study looked at a century of birth cohorts (1900 to 2000) with specific attention on mortality rates from 1969 to 2020. While some states like New York and California saw life expectancy significantly increase, other states barely saw improvement at all. A few locations even had life expectancy decline. It proves the importance of "decision-making around resource allocation and public health interventions," according to the researchers from the Yale School of Public Health.
Specifically, southern states like Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and West Virginia improved by only the slightest margin for life expectancy for women born in 1900 to women born in 2000. The state of Oklahoma actually went down from 76.7 to 76. Similarly, southern U.S. men had lower life expectancies, but they saw better improvements than women. The Pacific and Northeast saw "greater improvement" for life expectancies, the study found.
A similar study, "Ten Americas: a systematic analysis of life expectancy disparities in the USA," published in December 2024 in The Lancet, concluded that racial and ethnic identity, where one lives, and economic conditions are all significant factors in longevity.
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The latest research that found the differences based on geography echoes a similar study conducted out of Stanford University in 2018. That found that economic factors like level of income play a role in life expectancy, as the researchers concluded: "There can be little doubt that it is the poor, the school dropouts, the victims of discrimination and unlucky genetic endowment who disproportionately die young." The researches advocate for public health policy to target the problem directly.
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The CDC also has published information about health disparities due to "unequal distribution of social, political, economic, and environmental resources." Collective effort to tackle these problems can improve the health for all Americans. In addition to race or ethnicity, sex, and income, they cite education, rurality vs. urbanicity, and disability as factors related to the health of populations. For example, higher levels of education are associated with a longer life compared to those with less education that are more likely to have health risks.
Key Takeaways
- Where you live strongly influences how long you live: State-level disparities show that geographic location significantly affects life expectancy in the U.S., with several southern states lagging behind.
- Economic and social factors matter: Education, income, race, and access to healthcare play crucial roles in determining mortality risk and lifespan.
- Targeted public health efforts are essential: Researchers emphasize that smart resource allocation and policy interventions can help close the growing life expectancy gaps.
