10 Ways the Pandemic Has Influenced the Overall Health of America

An in-depth report on Americans’ health is out and the sobering results show that there is a lot of room for improvement. But there’s good news, too: The America’s Health Rankings^® 2022 Annual Report is a useful tool for healthcare and public health professionals dedicated to improving population health.

Produced by the United Health Foundation and the American Public Health Association (APHA), the special report’s “COVID-era data and insights” help provide a fuller picture of the pandemic’s impact on American lives. Patricia Lewis, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer for UnitedHealth Group, says it offers “a more holistic understanding of the health trends shaping American society today.”¹

“Despite the challenges ahead, I remain optimistic that the health system can rise to the moment to address longstanding disparities and improve the health and well-being of all Americans, for this generation and the next,” she writes in report.¹

Here are findings from 10 key topics:

1. Health Equity

   The report’s COVID-Era Disparities Survey documents how the pandemic affected people differently based on race and ethnicity: “As premature death spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial disparities widened, the impact of deaths related to COVID-19 was felt unequally between racial groups. According to survey results, Black (32%), Hispanic (31%), American Indian/Alaska Native (26%), and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (26%) adults were significantly more likely than white (19%) and Asian (15%) adults to report losing a family member as a result of COVID-19.”¹

2. Multiple Chronic Conditions

   Between 2020 and 2021, there was a 5% increase in the number of adults with multiple chronic conditions, which means having three or more of the following: arthritis (the most prevalent condition in 2021), asthma, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer (excluding skin), depression, and diabetes.¹

3. Premature Deaths

   The premature death rate increased 18%, from 7,337 to 8,659 years of potential life lost, before age 75 per 100,000 population between 2019 and 2020. Looking at the U.S. health rankings by state, New York’s premature death rate increase was the highest, at 31%; Hawaii and New Hampshire had the smallest increases, with both reporting minimal changes.¹

4. Post-COVID Conditions

   In September 2022, almost 30% of people surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said they’d experienced health problems that persisted three months or longer after a COVID-19 infection.1 Researchers are still working to understand long COVID, which is now a recognized condition that can result in a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).²

5. Drug Deaths

   The incidence of drug deaths soared 30% between 2019 and 2020, from 21.5 to 27.9 deaths per 100,000 population. In 2020, the report says, almost 75% of the drug deaths involved an opioid. Reviewing U.S. health rankings by population, West Virginia had the highest rate of drug deaths (77.4 deaths per 100,000 people); South Dakota had the lowest at 9.8 deaths per 100,000 people.¹

6. Non-Medical Drug Use

   According to the study, the percentage of adults saying they’d used prescription drugs non-medically in the last 12 months increased 29% between 2021 and 2022. These drugs included pain relievers, stimulants, and sedatives, as well as illicit drugs.¹

7. Frequent Mental Distress

   The prevalence of frequent mental distress in adults increased 11% between 2020 and 2021. The report defines frequent mental distress as experiencing “persistent and likely severe mental health issues, defined by 14 or more days of poor mental health a month.”¹

8. Firearm Deaths

   Firearm deaths rose 13% between 2019 and 2020, an increase from 12.1 to 13.7 per 100,000 population.¹ The APHA has called for a “comprehensive public health approach” to stemming gun violence, a leading cause of premature death in the United States.³

9. Social Determinants of Health

   The study also measured some of the non-medical factors that influence health. Those results, for the time period of 2019–2021 except where noted, included:¹

   • Unemployment: Up 40%, from 4.5% to 6.3% of the civilian workforce ages 16–64
   • Poverty: Up 5%, from 12.2% to 12.8% of households
   • Per capita income: Up 7%, from $35,672 to $38,332
   • Food insecurity: Down 11%, from 11.7% to 10.4% of households between 2016–2018 and 2019–2021
   • Fourth grade reading proficiency: Down 6% between 2019 and 2022

10. Climate Change

    In 2021, the study showed 12 states had adopted the following four climate change policies: legally binding electricity portfolio standards, carbon pricing policies, climate change action plans, and economy-wide greenhouse gas emission targets. Fourteen states didn’t have any climate change policies and the remaining 24 states had between one and three policies.¹

Become a Public Health Professional

As the America’s Health Rankings^® report demonstrates, agents of social change are needed to help build healthier, more resilient communities. Earning a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree online can prepare you to pursue a career dedicated to achieving those goals.

Walden University, a leader in distance learning for over 50 years, gives you the flexibility to earn a public health degree online while balancing your personal and professional activities. Walden’s public health master’s is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). This is important when choosing an MPH program because CEPH accreditation means it meets specific criteria and standards for quality.

A master’s in public health can give you the foundational knowledge you need to work in epidemiology, a field projected to have much faster than average job growth through 2031.⁴ As a public health professional, you might also choose to set your career in fields like occupational health and safety, health education, public policy, or environmental health.⁵

Jobs in public health—in roles like health education specialists and community health workers—are also expected to have much faster than average growth through 2031.⁶

With the knowledge you acquire in your master’s program, you can be ready to find creative solutions to public health challenges and help build healthier communities for all people.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering an online Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

¹Source: www.americashealthrankings.org/learn/reports/2022-annual-report
²Source: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects/index.html
³Source: www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/gun-violence
⁴Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/epidemiologists.htm
⁵Source: https://apha.org/What-is-Public-Health
⁶Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm#tab-1

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.