Preventable loss: Premature death in rural counties in the State of Georgia, USA
Abstract
Background: Malignant neoplasms and heart diseases are the leading causes of premature death among adults in the state of Georgia. The magnitude and significance of the contributions of these variables to premature death is unknown. Whether the effects of these variables on premature death radically change when key causes of mortality are addressed has not been determined. This is the first study to examine the effects of the two leading causes of death among rural populations in the state of Georgia.
Methods: Variable measures for the 159 counties in Georgia were obtained from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps website. The outcome variable for regression analysis is age-adjusted years of potential life lost (YPLL) before age 75 per 100,000 population. Variables with skewed distributions were log-transformed. T and Levene’s F tests were conducted on all variables except for the rates of malignant neoplasms and heart disease, which were not age-adjusted.
Results: Except for the percentage of black population, preventable hospital stays, and the food environment index, the means for all other testable variables were statistically significant (p<0.001), indicating disparities adversely affecting rural populations. In a baseline regression model, malignant neoplasms and heart diseases significantly increased YPLL in rural Georgia, with standardized Beta coefficients of 0.341 (p<0.001) and 0.429 (p<0.001), respectively, and an adjusted R2 = 0.404 (model F = 41.401; p<0.001). The significance of their contributions to YPLL did not change when other variables were added to the model. The size of the effect of heart diseases slightly declined when Injury Death and Median Household Income were added to the model, but remained statistically significant at p<0.001.
Conclusions: Interventions to reduce the prevalence of malignant neoplasms and heart diseases will contribute to the prevention of premature death among adults in rural counties in the state of Georgia.
Keywords
Years of potential life lost (YPLL), premature death, malignant neoplasms, heart diseases, rural counties, State of Georgia
Conflict of Interest Form
I understand that if my abstract is selected and I agree to present that I must register for the conference and pay the registration fee to attend at least the day of the conference that I present. This includes all Learning Methods except invited Key Note Speakers.
Preventable loss: Premature death in rural counties in the State of Georgia, USA
Background: Malignant neoplasms and heart diseases are the leading causes of premature death among adults in the state of Georgia. The magnitude and significance of the contributions of these variables to premature death is unknown. Whether the effects of these variables on premature death radically change when key causes of mortality are addressed has not been determined. This is the first study to examine the effects of the two leading causes of death among rural populations in the state of Georgia.
Methods: Variable measures for the 159 counties in Georgia were obtained from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps website. The outcome variable for regression analysis is age-adjusted years of potential life lost (YPLL) before age 75 per 100,000 population. Variables with skewed distributions were log-transformed. T and Levene’s F tests were conducted on all variables except for the rates of malignant neoplasms and heart disease, which were not age-adjusted.
Results: Except for the percentage of black population, preventable hospital stays, and the food environment index, the means for all other testable variables were statistically significant (p<0.001), indicating disparities adversely affecting rural populations. In a baseline regression model, malignant neoplasms and heart diseases significantly increased YPLL in rural Georgia, with standardized Beta coefficients of 0.341 (p<0.001) and 0.429 (p<0.001), respectively, and an adjusted R2 = 0.404 (model F = 41.401; p<0.001). The significance of their contributions to YPLL did not change when other variables were added to the model. The size of the effect of heart diseases slightly declined when Injury Death and Median Household Income were added to the model, but remained statistically significant at p<0.001.
Conclusions: Interventions to reduce the prevalence of malignant neoplasms and heart diseases will contribute to the prevention of premature death among adults in rural counties in the state of Georgia.
