A new study shows eight counties in Kentucky have seen the largest decline of life expectancy in the nation over a 34-year time period. Those eight counties are concentrated in southeastern Kentucky.
Owsley County saw the largest drop in life expectancy in the nation, with people living 2-point-3 less years in 2014 than they did in 1980. The study attributes the decline to poverty, obesity, smoking and a lack of access to health care.
Owsley County Judge-Executive, Cale Turner, wasn’t surprised by the findings. He points to drug abuse and a historic lack of access to health care to explain the study’s results.
The other Kentucky counties that saw huge declines in life expectancy are Lee, Leslie, Breathitt, Clay, Powell, Estill, and Perry.
The study was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.”
