Does Zip Code Matter to Our Life Expectancy?
What’s in the History:
Zip Code and Our Home Life
Mail was primarily the communication method to inform American troops about their home life. In 1943, during WW II, the Post Office implemented postal zoning, which evolved into the modern zip code system in 1963. The term “ZIP” stands for Zone Improvement Plan. It is a basic format consisting of 5 digits, which allows mail sorting to become faster and can eventually be automated.
What’s in the News:
“Life Expectancy in the U.S. Declined 1.8 years in 2020, CDC says” — The Wall Street Journal.
Region and Life Expectancy
The journal report not only pointed out that life expectancy decline remains the most significant drop since World War II but also shows our life expectancy correlated with cause-specific mortality.
At the beginning of this pandemic, people focused intensively on where this virus originated. This region-emphasized topic made me wonder if our geographic location also impacts our life expectancy.
