Eight Americas: Investigating Mortality Disparities across Races, Counties, and Race-Counties in the United States
Author Information
Author(s): Murray Christopher J. L, Kulkarni Sandeep C, Michaud Catherine, Tomijima Niels, Bulzacchelli Maria T, Iandiorio Terrell J, Ezzati Majid
Primary Institution: Harvard School of Public Health
Hypothesis
What are the causes of mortality disparities across different racial and county combinations in the United States?
Conclusion
There are enormous disparities in mortality across the eight Americas, which cannot be solely explained by race, income, or health-care access.
Supporting Evidence
- The life expectancy gap between high-risk urban black males and Asian females was 20.7 years in 2001.
- Disparities in mortality were largest for young and middle-aged adults, especially for men.
- Self-reported health plan coverage was lowest for western Native Americans and low-income southern rural blacks.
- Mortality disparities among the eight Americas have not decreased from 1982 to 2001.
Takeaway
Some groups of people in the US live much longer than others, and this difference is not just about how much money they make or what race they are.
Methodology
The study divided the US population into eight groups based on race, county of residence, income, and homicide rates, and analyzed mortality data from 1982 to 2001.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in mortality estimates due to differential reporting of race on census and death certificates.
Limitations
Data limitations affected the analysis of mortality by age and disease for specific race-counties due to small sample sizes.
Participant Demographics
The study included diverse racial and socioeconomic groups across the United States.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website