Leadership for Healthy People and Communities

01/16/2020

In Ohio, There is a Strong Connection between Poverty and Shorter Life Expectancy

Not everyone has an equal opportunity to live a long and healthy life, as is evidenced by the wide disparities in life expectancy throughout the State of Ohio. There is much more to health than health care; the conditions in the community in which you live influence how healthy you will be and how long you will live. Being able to measure health outcomes at the very local level is important if we are to shape policies and services that improve these conditions for vulnerable communities. It is in that spirit that the U.S Small-Area Life Expectancy Estimates Project (USALEEP) came to be, and through this research, we are able to look at life expectancy at the census tract level. As of 2017, the average life expectancy at birth in the United States was 78.6 years. Individuals who are 65 years old can expect to live an additional 19.4 years on average. Life expectancy is a broad measure of the overall health of communities, and although life expectancy in the U.S. has risen dramatically over several decades, it has actually fallen slightly for the past few years. Some researchers attribute this to increases in suicide and drug overdose deaths. Click here for more information.