Alabama ranks 48th in national life expectancy survey
Amanda Thomas Associated Press
Issue date: 9/14/06 Section: News
MONTGOMERY-- Eating too much and exercising too little contributed to Alabama ranking 48th among states in a national report Monday on life expectancy, according to State Health Officer Don Williamson.
Alabama's life expectancy was listed at 74.4 years in the study by Harvard University that analyzed mortality data between 1982 and 2001 by county, race, gender and income. Hawaii had he longest life expectancy at 80, while Washington D.C. had the lowest at 72.
In 1999, the most recent year in which county-bycounty data was cited, Shelby County had the highest life expectancy in Alabama at 76.8 years, while Lowdnes and Wilcox counties had the lowest at 71.7 years.
Along with obesity and lack of exercise, Williamson said another factor that may have landed Alabama in the 48th spot is its infant mortality rate, which is one of the five highest.
Williamson noted that the majority of the states in the bottom 10 are in the South _ an area known to have major problems with obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
"We as Southerners eat too much and exercise too little," he said. "As a consequence, we weigh too much and develop diabetes at a higher rate, which contributes to higher deaths. Our shortened life expectancy is largely a disease of behavior."
Southern states dominated the worst end of the list. After Washington, D.C., the next shortest life expectancies were Mississippi's, at 73.6 years, and Louisiana's, at 74.2 years. Just above Alabama in the 47th through 41st ranks were, respectively, South Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina.
The intervention needed to combat low life expectancy is the same needed for obesity, according to Williamson.
"Those are interventions that change behavior _ that get people to smoke less, eat less and exercise more with the goal of having a healthier population," he said. "As people become healthier, life expectancy goes up."
Other factors that may contribute to low life expectancy are a lack of access to medical care in states with high poverty rates and failure of pregnant women to seek health care early enough.
Alabama's life expectancy was listed at 74.4 years in the study by Harvard University that analyzed mortality data between 1982 and 2001 by county, race, gender and income. Hawaii had he longest life expectancy at 80, while Washington D.C. had the lowest at 72.
In 1999, the most recent year in which county-bycounty data was cited, Shelby County had the highest life expectancy in Alabama at 76.8 years, while Lowdnes and Wilcox counties had the lowest at 71.7 years.
Along with obesity and lack of exercise, Williamson said another factor that may have landed Alabama in the 48th spot is its infant mortality rate, which is one of the five highest.
Williamson noted that the majority of the states in the bottom 10 are in the South _ an area known to have major problems with obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
"We as Southerners eat too much and exercise too little," he said. "As a consequence, we weigh too much and develop diabetes at a higher rate, which contributes to higher deaths. Our shortened life expectancy is largely a disease of behavior."
Southern states dominated the worst end of the list. After Washington, D.C., the next shortest life expectancies were Mississippi's, at 73.6 years, and Louisiana's, at 74.2 years. Just above Alabama in the 47th through 41st ranks were, respectively, South Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina.
The intervention needed to combat low life expectancy is the same needed for obesity, according to Williamson.
"Those are interventions that change behavior _ that get people to smoke less, eat less and exercise more with the goal of having a healthier population," he said. "As people become healthier, life expectancy goes up."
Other factors that may contribute to low life expectancy are a lack of access to medical care in states with high poverty rates and failure of pregnant women to seek health care early enough.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
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posted 12/05/09 @ 4:14 PM CST
Other factors that may contribute to low life expectancy are a lack of access to medical care in states with high poverty rates and failure of pregnant women to seek health care early enough. (Continued…)
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posted 12/05/09 @ 4:16 PM CST
Southern states dominated the worst end of the list. After Washington, D.C., the next shortest life expectancies were Mississippi's, at 73.6 years, and Louisiana's, at 74. (Continued…)
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posted 12/05/09 @ 4:17 PM CST
Just above Alabama in the 47th through 41st ranks were, respectively, South Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina. (Continued…)
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