Source: Sara Nagem, BORDER BELT INDEPENDENT, 5/9/22

Newly released health rankings paint a grim picture of North Carolina’s rural Border Belt counties compared to the rest of the state: Residents here are more likely to smoke, be obese, have diabetes, experience frequent mental health issues and die prematurely.  Teen girls are more likely to get pregnant, and babies are more likely to have a low birthweight. Adults are more likely to lack health insurance, and the ratio of doctors, dentists and mental health providers is far below the statewide rate. 

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