Abstract

In 1996, there were 34,035 deaths in South Carolina. Almost 70 percent of these deaths were due to chronic diseases. There are known ways to prevent chronic diseases from developing or at least delay their developmental process, thereby lengthening years of life. The purpose of this paper is to report modifiable risk factors for mortality related to leading causes of death. The top ten causes of death in South Carolina were obtained from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Estimates of the number of deaths due to certain modifiable risk factors were made using results of a study published by McGinnis and Foege. The percentage of deaths due to each cause was adapted to South Carolina death certificate data from the national estimates. Results indicate that small modifications in individual lifestyles could prevent or delay nearly 50 percent of deaths in South Carolina annually. Tobacco use, diet and physical activity, and misuse of alcohol contribute to the largest number of deaths. Other modifiable behaviors contributing to the 50 percent mortality are microbial agents, toxic agents, firearms, sexual behavior, motor vehicle accidents, and illicit use of drugs. The implication in these findings is that these risk factors for mortality are mainly modifiable. There are many causes of death that may be delayed due to these modifiable risk factors. By looking at preventable causes of death, rather than focusing on traditional causes of death, it becomes clear that prevention strategies are critically important.