COLUMBUS, Ohio – Where you live can be a factor in how long you live, but a new OSU study indicates that, just within the boundaries of Franklin County, life expectancy can swing as much as 20 years.
READ MORE: In the Columbus Dispatch
The life expectancy ranged from an average of 64 to 71 all the way up to an average of 82 to 84, according to the report. Researchers organized their findings by ZIP codes.
Race, ethnicity and poverty likely play a role in that projection, says the report, commissioned by the Columbus Foundation and Osteopathic Heritage Foundations. So do neighborhood environment, genetic factors and societal experiences.
What doesn’t seem to make a difference is whether people live in suburban or urban areas, said Matt Martin, senior researcher for the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State University, which did the report.
“Where you live in the county matters, but it doesn’t follow development patterns as some might think,” he said.
The report indicates that the current system of giving benefits to seniors based on age — most notably 65 — and not on disability and risk factors might not be of much help to many people.
“The impact of poverty and the corresponding lack of access to quality health care and education need to be addressed to improve the lives of all seniors in our community,” said Terri Donlin Huesman, vice president of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations.
The report, unveiled at a Columbus Metropolitan Club luncheon Wednesday, was done to determine the greatest needs and gaps facing the county as the population ages, the newspaper reported. While Franklin County has a robust network of services for senior citizens, it can be challenging for many to plug into the resources and to navigate the system once connected, the report says.