New study charts where people are likely to die prematurely in Northern Virginia

“We talk about islands of disadvantage in the study, and there’s 15 of them in Northern Virginia,” Dr. Steven Woolf from the Virginia Commonwealth University said.

Dr. Woolf is one of the co-authors of the study “Dying Too Soon,” a look into premature death rates in Northern Virginia. A study done with coordination from the Northern Virginia Health Foundation. It is a neighborhood-by-neighborhood view at how death rates vary across Northern Virginia. 

“These are Census tracts, populated by people of color and immigrant groups that experience very difficult living situations and poor health outcomes,” he said.

Here’s what the study found: In the 15 neighborhoods, residents at times were six times more likely to die before the age of 75 than nearby more affluent neighborhoods.  

At a county level, the study found Prince William County had the highest premature mortality rates in the region.

“There are also dramatic differences across racial and ethnic groups,” Dr. Woolf said. “For example, the Black population experiences death rates that are 44% higher than the white population.” 

Dr. Woolf said one of the key findings showed the correlation between poverty and poor health outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic only compounded the health inequalities across economic and racial lines.

So, where does the information go from here?

“It reinforces our mission because the problem hasn’t gone away,” said Patricia Mathews from the Northern Virginia Health Foundation.

Mathews believes the study should serve as a wakeup call for the area.

“It should give ammunition to policy makers and others to begin to shift priorities in their jurisdictions,” she said.