North Dakotans report fewer sick days per month than do people in the rest of the U.S. On average, North Dakotans reported 4.7 sick days (physical and mental) in 2006 (latest figures available) compared with six days per month nationwide.

Two North Dakota counties, Foster and Pembina, are among 23 counties with the fewest reported sick days in the U.S.

“The health status of North Dakotans portrayed by these data is very encouraging,” says Richard Rathge, State Data Center director. The center is on the campus of North Dakota State University. “In general, the data indicate that residents live longer and self-report a healthier quality of life than those living in other parts of the U.S.”

This month’s “Population Bulletin,” a monthly publication from the center, focuses on the average life expectancy of North Dakotans and health-related quality of life (self-rated health status and average number of sick days). The data were obtained from the Community Health Status Indicators Report, a product of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is available at http://communityhealth.hhs.gov/.

Life expectancy values are based on the analysis of mortality statistics during a five-year period (1997-2001). The life expectancy at birth for North Dakotans during this five-year period was 77.6 years, which is slightly higher than the median for all counties nationwide (76.5 years).

In North Dakota, Burleigh County has the highest life expectancy at 80 years, followed closely by Stark County at 79.5. Two-thirds of all North Dakota counties have life expectancies of at least 77 years.

In 2006, 11.5 percent of adults in North Dakota reported fair or poor health in the past month compared with 17.1 percent nationwide. In four North Dakota counties (Cass, Traill, Burleigh, and Grand Forks), less than 10 percent of adults reported fair or poor health.

NDSU Agriculture Communication