The USA does not seem to have an average life-expectancy. Even if an average were worked out it would not mean much. While American Asian women are expected to live about 86.7 years, black men living in some urban areas are expected to live just 68.7 years – a gap of 18 years. According to a new report, the gap between the highest and lowest life expectancies for race-country combinations in the USA is over 35 years.

The researchers divided the race-county combinations of the American population into 8 different groups, referred to as the ‘8 Americas’, to explore the disparities that can inform specific public health intervention policies and programs.

The 8 Americas are:
(America 1 to 5 are from 2,072 counties; 3 races)
(America 6 to 8 are from 2,072 counties; blacks)

AMERICA 1
Asians in 1,889 counties with Pacific Islanders

AMERICA 4
Whites in 467 rural counties in Appalachia and the Mississippi Valley with white per capita income

AMERICA 6
Blacks in 1,632 counties

AMERICA 7
427 rural counties in Deep South with per capita black income

Even variations by state see a gap of up to ten years. While life expectancy in Washington DC (men and women) is 72 years, it is 80 years in Hawaii.

Many factors influence longevity in the USA. Such as smoking, alcohol consumption and alcoholism, long-term disease and obesity/overweight.

Head researchers, Christopher Murray, said “The evidence is really quite clear that most of the gap across these groups is due to differences in mortality in young and middle-aged adult men and women and most of that is due to chronic disease. It’s not HIV. It’s not homicide. It’s cardiovascular disease. It’s chronic respiratory disease, liver disease and somewhat cancers.”

Ever since 1982 the longevity gaps in the USA have remained fairly constant, say the researchers.

The researchers found that the life expectancy gap between the best-off and the worst-off groups was over 15 years for males and 12.8 years for females.

Conclusion

Health inequalities in the USA are large and persistent.

“Eight Americas: Investigating Mortality Disparities across Races, Counties, and Race-Counties in the United States’
Christopher J. L. Murray, Sandeep C. Kulkarni, Catherine Michaud, Niels Tomijima, Maria T. Bulzacchelli, Terrell J. Iandiorio, Majid Ezzati
PLOS MedicineVolume 3 | Issue 9 | SEPTEMBER 2006