Life Expectancy in Rural Areas of Kurdistan Province, Iran in 2013

Life expectancy at birth is one of the most important indicators of the social, economic, cultural, and health development in any society. This descriptive epidemiological study aims to measure life expectancy by age and gender in rural areas of Kurdistan Province, Iran. Data were collected directly using mortality information obtained from the health center of Kurdistan Province and the registered population in 2013. The findings showed that life expectancy is different in rural areas of Kurdistan Province. Life expectancy at birth in rural areas of the Province was estimated at 70.6 years on average, where it was 72 years for women and 69.3 years for men. The highest life expectancy of men is in Saqez city with 70.6 and the lowest in Kamyaran and Devandarah city with 68.6 years. The highest life expectancy is estimated in rural women with 74 years in Baneh city and the lowest in Dehgolan city with 69.9 years, respectively. The results showed different years of life expectancy in terms of gender in rural areas of Kurdistan Province. The national average life expectancy is about 2 years higher than that in rural areas of Kurdistan Province. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the life expectancy in these Province via fair distribution of facilities and services and prioritizing its rural areas in health planning.