CONTRIBUTED
For many of us, older relatives are a normal part of life – we may have parents, grandparents, or, in some instances, great-grandparents, living healthy and fulfilling lives as a result of the healthcare innovations that have been made over the last century.
Organizations like the Census Bureau often conduct research to understand life expectancy and how it changes across the United States. This can then be used to help agencies plan and predict what jobs might be required to support Americans born today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Life expectancy provides us with an insight into many things, including the effectiveness of healthcare systems, public health initiatives and disease control, factors that health professionals like RN to FNP program graduates are all too familiar with.
A recent report released by the CDC revealed that North Carolina’s life expectancy had experienced a decline – dropping from 76.1 in 2020 to 74.9 in 2021. What contributed to this decline, and can anything be done to stop it from declining any further?
The Latest Data
Life expectancy data published by the National Center for Health Statistics paint a picture of how North Carolina is faring compared to other states. The U.S. State Life Tables (2021), published in August 2024, ranked North Carolina in the bottom third of all U.S. states, with an average total life expectancy of 74.9 years – five years lower than top-ranked Hawaii (avg. total life expectancy, 79.9 years).
Comparing the report with 2020 data highlights that while the average life expectancy did fall, North Carolina was not the only state to do so. Four in five U.S. states experienced declining life expectancy over the reporting period. However, further historical data can give us a greater idea of what’s happening.
From a peak in 2019, total average U.S. life expectancy has fallen 2.4 years – from 78.8 years (2019) to 76.4 years (2021). North Carolina has experienced a more substantial shift, with average life expectancy falling 2.7 years from 77.6 years (2019) to 74.9 years (2021).
Why Does This Matter?
The data reveals a challenging picture for the North Carolinian healthcare sector. While the COVID-19 pandemic did contribute to the decline in life expectancy, North Carolina has also faced significant challenges with overdose-related deaths as a result of the opioid epidemic, an area of concern that can cause substantial variations to the average life expectancy of states.
Understanding the issues that a state faces allows policymakers to work with stakeholders, focus on creating solutions that address healthcare shortfalls, and aspire to improve life expectancy more broadly.
With precise data on the factors contributing to changes in life expectancy, stakeholders can also focus investment in the areas of greatest need, such as investing in greater access to medication-assisted treatments.
Addressing Healthcare Challenges
Addressing the challenges in any healthcare system can be complex, requiring government engagement, public investment, and partnerships with private enterprises to make a substantial difference.
By working together, these complex partnerships can make a difference in the lives of North Carolinians and make a positive difference for communities currently struggling under the burdens of higher mortality rates.
COVID-19 received a great deal of federal support through the development of a vaccine and its eventual rollout to the states. Addiction is a much more challenging problem, though – it’s not unusual for someone to enter a rehabilitation program, lapse back into addiction, and find themselves in a destructive addictive cycle.
For North Carolina, providing a safety net to tackle the challenges of addiction is helping to save lives in Burke County. Simple strategies, such as the provisioning of Naloxone to tackle overdoses and give more time for overdose patients to recover, are making a difference.
Training nurse practitioners (NPs) can also help to tackle the opioid pandemic through a clinical setting. Medications such as buprenorphine have been found to be effective in treating opioid use disorder but require additional specialized training to allow nurse practitioners to prescribe it to patients.
While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to tackling the decline in life expectancy in North Carolina, concerted programs to improve access to opioid addiction treatment and training additional medical staff to support clinical teams are making a difference.
Ultimately, by identifying solutions today, the healthcare workers of tomorrow will be better equipped to tackle the unique health challenges that North Carolinian residents face. Repairing the issues that have led to the opioid epidemic will take time, but by making an active effort to tackle the challenges, there’s a very real possibility that one day, the average life expectancy will improve to pre-pandemic levels.
If any of the issues raised in this article have raised concerns, support is available. You can find information about Community Resources available to help address North Carolina’s opioid pandemic online on the Health and Human Services website.