Keywords
health equity, health disparities, age-friendly
Document Type
Research Studies
Abstract
Introduction. This article describes the Mississippi Healthy Aging Data Report, which includes 125 indicators reported at the county and state level.
Methods. Data sources include the American Community Survey from the U.S. Census, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, and other sources. Small-area estimation techniques are used to calculate age- and gender-adjusted county rates. Data visualizations illustrate health disparities.
Results. Mississippi is home to 663,581 people age 60 or older – 22% of the state’s total population. Approximately 12.9% of Medicare beneficiaries in Mississippi have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia (range 10.5%-17.3%).
Discussion. The Mississippi Healthy Aging Data Report (see healthyagingdatareports.org) has helped policymakers, service providers, and advocates better understand the status of healthy aging in Mississippi. The tools provided by the report have given stakeholders a way to target their efforts more deliberately and efficiently, and empowered them to make the case that supporting age-friendly social and economic systems is beneficial for residents of all ages. Our hope is that other states in the Deep South may soon join the age-friendly movement to create communities that support the optimal health of everyone – young and old alike.
Recommended Citation
Dugan, E.,
Jansen, T.,
Lee, C.,
Silverstein, N. M.,
&
Su, Y.
(2024). The Mississippi Healthy Aging Data Report: Tools to Advance Health Equity.
Journal of Public Health in the Deep South, 4(1), 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/2996-6833.1089