Life expectancy can be influenced by various factors, including genetics, lifestyle habits, and community environment. While genetics play a role in determining about 25% of your lifespan, lifestyle choices such as diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, weight management, and physical activity can significantly impact how long you live.
Research from the National Institutes of Health has shown that following a healthy lifestyle can add more than a decade to your life. However, factors such as poverty, unemployment, income levels, and education in your community can also affect life expectancy.
In the United States, life expectancy has been on the rise over the years, increasing from around 70.8 years in 1970 to 77.5 years in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite this overall trend, life expectancy can vary from state to state and even from county to county.
A study conducted by researchers from Penn State, West Virginia, and Michigan State Universities in 2020 found that communities with higher population densities, more fast food restaurants, and a larger number of extraction industry-based jobs tend to have shorter life expectancies.
To examine how life expectancy differs across counties in Iowa, Stacker utilized data from the 2024 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. This data was used to identify the counties in Iowa with the lowest life expectancies, excluding counties with unreliable or insufficient data. The analysis was based on mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System.
If you’re curious to see if your county is among those with the shortest life expectancies in Iowa, keep reading. It’s essential to understand the factors that can impact life expectancy in different communities and work towards creating healthier environments for all residents.
In addition to examining life expectancy data, it’s crucial to consider access to healthcare, quality of healthcare services, and social support systems in each county. These factors can also play a significant role in determining how long people live and their overall well-being.
By raising awareness about the disparities in life expectancy and addressing the underlying issues contributing to shorter lifespans in certain communities, we can work towards improving health outcomes for all individuals in Iowa. It’s important to prioritize public health initiatives, education, and resources that promote healthy living and support longevity for everyone, regardless of their zip code or socioeconomic status.