Published: September 23, 2009 10:53 pm      

W.Va. leads in disabilities for number of reasons

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Age, physically demanding jobs and bad habits from smoking to shunning exercise all contribute to West Virginia ranking first in the percentage of residents with disabilities.

The U.S. Census released figures this week from its annual American Community Survey showing that roughly 19 percent of West Virginians report having a disability, more than any other state. The national average is 12 percent.

The likeliest factors behind that data relate to long-term health problems the state also has in abundance, like obesity, smoking and lack of exercise. Those can lead to chronic illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which in turn can lead to disability.

Other factors could include the treatment of stroke survivors after they leave the hospital and the relative lack of access to new medications. The state’s aging population and thousands of jobs in industries like mining and logging, where serious injuries are more common than in office and retail settings, are also factors.

“I don’t think there’s a single answer,” said Mary Carter, a professor in West Virginia University’s Department of Community Medicine who also works in the school’s Center on Aging.

“It likely reflects a combination of the high rate of certain diseases prevalant in West Virginia along with certain types of industries and behaviors,” she said.

West Virginia ranks high in obesity, cigarette smoking and physical inactivity and, correspondingly, in ailments like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension.

The state also has one of the highest percentages of residents 65 or older, and Carter said older people are at greater risk of disability through injury or illness.