Studies Find Bleak Life Expectancy In Missouri, Crawford County

Recent studies by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) found that life expectancy is declining in Missouri and Crawford County ranks among the bottom of the state.

The 2023 County Health Rankings used data from 2018-2020. 

Missouri’s statewide life expectancy during that time period was 76.6 years. 

Crawford County was 14th lowest at 73.9 years, with an error margin between 72.7 years and 75.1 years.

County Health Rankings “are based on a conceptual model of population health” using health outcomes (length and qualify of life and health factors.

Pemiscot County, located in the Bootheel, ranks as the county with the lowest life expectancy at just 69.1 years. 

Nearby Dunklin, New Madrid, Mississippi and Carter counties also rank at the bottom.

In Crawford County, the study said there is a higher percentage of uninsured residents, fewer primary care physicians, fewer dentists, fewer mental health providers, fewer mammogram screenings and flu vaccinations compared to Missouri’s state average.

2021 DHSS Stats

While the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services doesn’t readily provide county data, a report for 2021 found that life expectancy dropped to 74.6 years, a 40-year low.

Life expectancy has fallen in Missouri by 2.5 years since 2012.

The number has dropped in the United States over the last decade, but Missouri’s life expectancy in 2021 was nearly two fewer years than the U.S. average.

Missouri’s decline in life expectancy has been attributed to COVID-19, more homicides and more overdose deaths.

The state has also seen deaths outpace births.

In 2021, DHSS said there were 73,831 deaths in Missouri, compared to just 69,269 births. It was the fewest number of births in Missouri since 1976.

Deaths overtook births in 2020 as well.

Heart disease (15,716) and cancer (13,146) were the leading causes of death in both 2020 and 2021, but COVID-19 (7,757) was third.

Unintentional injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes, falls, poisonings and others made up nearly 5,000 deaths.

Compared to 2011, Missouri has seen deaths due to heart disease rise by 11.4 percent, cancer by 3.3 percent and unintentional injuries by 47.6 percent.

More Missourians died in 2021 from chronic lung disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, nephritis (kidney disease) and suicide.

There has been a 24 percent increase in suicides since 2011.

Homicides have increased by 67 percent, while opioid deaths are up 164 percent and firearm deaths 63.2 percent.

COVID-19

COVID-19 hit the population under 65 the hardest in 2021.

According to DHSS, the median age for COVID-related deaths decreased from around 80 in 2020 to 73 in 2021.

The number of people under 65 who died from COVID-19 more than doubled in 2021, from 995 in 2020 to 2,432.

DHSS said the Delta variant “was particularly hard” on young people. More elderly Missourians were vaccinated and DHSS estimates it shifted a higher proportion of COVID-related deaths to younger people.

Opiods

Opioid-related deaths have not only skyrocketed since 2011, but has increased nearly 1.5 times since 2019.

Both whites and African-Americans saw opioid-related deaths increase, with fentanyl making up 90 percent of the tally.

Homicide/Suicide

DHSS said homicides decreased from a record 802 deaths in 2020 to 716 in 2021. Firearm-related homicides decreased, but suicides increased.

Around 64 percent of suicides were firearm-related.