Published: May 08, 2008 09:08 pm         

Report: Women dying earlier

Life expectancy in Laurel County down by 2 years

Women in Laurel County are living about two years less than they used to.

A nationwide study reveals Laurel County women were living to an average age of 79.70 years in 1983. But in 1999, women were only living to 77.28 years old.

The study — called “The Reversal of Fortunes: Trends in County Mortality and Cross-Country Mortality Disparities in the United States” — examined mortality rates in counties nationwide from 1961 to 1999. During that time, researchers found life expectancy increased from 67 to 74 years of age for men and from 74 to 80 years for women.

But while mortality rates continued to increase from 1961 to 1983, they stagnated and then dropped for about 6 percent of women from 1983 to 1999.

Significant declines were noted in 15 other Kentucky counties, in-cluding Clay and Whitley.

Of the 3,141 counties in the country, 164 of them were in the same boat. The majority of these counties are in the south of the United States, along the Mississippi River, and in Appalachia, extending into the southern part of the Midwest and into Texas. The average decline in these counties was around one year.

Meanwhile, only 11 counties in the country noted a significant de-crease in life expectancy for men.

The study determined the declines were concentrated in persistently poor regions of the United States.

The cause?

According to the study, female mortality increas-ed “primarily because of chronic diseases related to smoking, overweight and obesity, and high blood pressure.” Lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases were the main culprits.

Laurel County’s specific health challenges are outlined in the Kentucky Health Care Market Re-port, put together by the Kentucky Institute of Medicine.

Of the 120 counties in Kentucky, Laurel County ranked 68th. The high obesity rate — 28 percent of adults — is one of the biggest concerns. In addition, a whopping 37 percent of Laurel Countians (5 percent more than the state average) are not getting enough exercise.

Oral health is another concern, with 43 percent of Laurel Countians missing six or more teeth. Statewide, only 37 percent had similar situations.

As well, 16 percent of the area’s population is not insured.

Nutritionist Brandi Gill-ey, of the Laurel County Health Department, said it’s likely the decrease in life expectancy comes from “a combination of those things.”

“It’s our eating habits, our sedentary lifestyle,” she said. “And it seems like every time we turn around, there’s somebody who has a family member with cancer.”

Smoking is another concern.

Dr. Kraig Humbaugh, director of the division of Epidemiology and Health Planning, said Kentucky leads the nation in tobacco use.

“I think southeastern Kentucky has always had a higher percentage of tobacco,” Gilley said. “I spoke to a family from Indiana a few weekends ago. Up there, smoking was not a socially acceptable thing. Here, it’s the norm. They were very surprised by that.”

Cardiovascular disease, however, is the leading cause of death in Kentucky.

In the market report, Wolfe County was last and Oldham was first. Clay County fell in the 119th spot, with Whitley and Knox counties 97 and 81 respectively.