New Report on Senior Health Shows Rural Health Disparities Persist, Suicide Rates Are Up
May 17 2018 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
- Report quantifies poorer health
outcomes among seniors in rural areas
- Suicide rates are up 12 percent among
seniors nationally since the 2014 edition
- Social isolation is associated with
poor health status and higher mortality, research shows
- Utah is healthiest state for seniors;
Louisiana has greatest opportunity for improvement
A new report benchmarking the health of seniors in America finds
poorer health outcomes for rural senior citizens compared with
their urban and suburban peers and increased national suicide
rates. An analysis within the report also highlights the risk of
social isolation and its association with poor health for
seniors.
The 2018 United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings®
Senior Report provides the latest check-up on the health and
well-being of the nation’s seniors. Using 34 measures of senior
health, the report highlights successes and challenges this
population faces on a national and state-by-state basis.
Key findings across states show that rural seniors are:
- more likely to be physically inactive
(34.3 percent compared to 30.4 percent in suburban areas and 30.1
percent in urban areas); and
- more likely to report a fall (32.4
percent compared to 28.5 percent in suburban areas and 29.5 percent
in urban areas); and
- 7 percent less likely to report
receiving a flu vaccination than urban seniors (57.2 percent vs.
61.4 percent, respectively); and
- less likely to receive health
screenings compared with both suburban and urban seniors (66.4
percent vs. 74.3 percent and 75.3 percent, respectively).
Another key finding of the report is the national suicide rate
among seniors has increased 12 percent since the 2014 edition of
the Senior Report. Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah have seen the
largest increases. There is variability among states, with the rate
3.9 times higher in Nevada than in Massachusetts (32.3 deaths per
100,000 vs. 8.3 deaths per 100,000).
The report also features a new analysis that measures and
identifies locations where seniors are most at risk for social
isolation. It builds on the AARP Foundation’s Isolation Framework
Project and supporting literature. Social isolation risk among
seniors is highest in Mississippi and Louisiana, and is lowest in
Utah and New Hampshire. Contributing factors include divorce,
separation and widowhood, never having married, poverty,
disability, difficulty living independently, and living alone.
While the Senior Report highlights many pressing challenges, it
also reveals several national improvements. Key findings
include:
- food insecurity decreased 7 percent in
the past year;
- oral health among seniors improved,
with dental visits among seniors significantly increasing and teeth
extractions declining since 2016; and
- the number of home health care workers
increased 20 percent since 2013 (per 1,000 adults age 75 and
older).
Each year, America’s Health Rankings determines the healthiest
states for seniors:
- Utah (No. 1), followed by Hawaii (No.
2), New Hampshire (No. 3), Minnesota (No. 4) and Colorado (No. 5).
All these states ranked in the top five in 2017.
- Louisiana has the most challenges at
No. 50, followed by Mississippi (No. 49), Kentucky (No. 48),
Arkansas (No. 47) and Oklahoma (No. 46).
“It is our goal with this report to help seniors, family
caregivers and advocates better understand the specific health
concerns in their own communities so we can all work together to
address them,” said Rhonda Randall, D.O., senior adviser to the
United Health Foundation and chief medical officer and executive
vice president, UnitedHealthcare Retiree Solutions. “By examining
the differences in health between seniors living in rural areas and
those living in urban and suburban areas, for example, we believe
we can empower communities to help seniors access the resources and
services they need to live happier, healthier lives.”
About America’s Health RankingsAmerica's Health Rankings
Senior Report, in its sixth annual edition, offers a
comprehensive analysis of senior population health on a national
and state-by-state basis across 34 measures of senior health. In
commissioning the report, the United Health Foundation seeks to
promote discussion around the health of older Americans while
driving communities, governments, stakeholders and individuals to
take action to improve senior health. For more information,
visit www.AmericasHealthRankings.org.
About United Health FoundationThrough collaboration with
community partners, grants and outreach efforts, the United Health
Foundation works to improve our health system, build a diverse and
dynamic health workforce and enhance the well-being of local
communities. The United Health Foundation was established by
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private
foundation dedicated to improving health and health care. To date,
the United Health Foundation has committed nearly $358 million to
programs and communities around the world. We invite you to learn
more at www.unitedhealthgroup.com/SocialResponsibility.
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United Health FoundationJenifer McCormick,
952-936-1917Jenifer_mccormick@uhg.com
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