The persistent southern disadvantage in US early life mortality, 1965‒2014
<b>Background</b>: Recent studies of US adult mortality demonstrate a growing disadvantage among southern states. Few studies have examined long-term trends and geographic patterns in US early life (ages 1 to 24) mortality, ages at which key risk factors and causes of death are quite dif...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Demographic Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol42/11/ |
| _version_ | 1818250048991920128 |
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| author | Nathan T. Dollar Iliya Gutin Elizabeth M. Lawrence David B. Braudt Samuel Fishman Richard G. Rogers Robert A. Hummer |
| author_facet | Nathan T. Dollar Iliya Gutin Elizabeth M. Lawrence David B. Braudt Samuel Fishman Richard G. Rogers Robert A. Hummer |
| author_sort | Nathan T. Dollar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background</b>: Recent studies of US adult mortality demonstrate a growing disadvantage among southern states. Few studies have examined long-term trends and geographic patterns in US early life (ages 1 to 24) mortality, ages at which key risk factors and causes of death are quite different than among adults. <b>Objective</b>: This article examines trends and variations in early life mortality rates across US states and census divisions. We assess whether those variations have changed over a 50-year time period and which causes of death contribute to contemporary geographic disparities. <b>Methods</b>: We calculate all-cause and cause-specific death rates using death certificate data from the Multiple Cause of Death files, combining public-use files from 1965‒2004 and restricted data with state geographic identifiers from 2005‒2014. State population (denominator) data come from US decennial censuses or intercensal estimates. <b>Results</b>: Results demonstrate a persistent mortality disadvantage for young people (ages 1 to 24) living in southern states over the last 50 years, particularly those located in the East South Central and West South Central divisions. Motor vehicle accidents and homicide by firearm account for most of the contemporary southern disadvantage in US early life mortality. <b>Contribution</b>: Our results illustrate that US children and youth living in the southern United States have long suffered from higher levels of mortality than children and youth living in other parts of the country. Our findings also suggest the contemporary southern disadvantage in US early life mortality could potentially be reduced with state-level policies designed to prevent deaths involving motor vehicles and firearms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T15:46:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3fcdfa7ab5da4bcbbea4418b0d001922 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1435-9871 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T15:46:12Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Demographic Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-3fcdfa7ab5da4bcbbea4418b0d0019222022-12-22T00:19:45ZengMax Planck Institute for Demographic ResearchDemographic Research1435-98712020-02-01421110.4054/DemRes.2020.42.114417The persistent southern disadvantage in US early life mortality, 1965‒2014Nathan T. Dollar0Iliya Gutin1Elizabeth M. Lawrence2David B. Braudt3Samuel Fishman4Richard G. Rogers5Robert A. Hummer6University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasUniversity of Colorado BoulderDuke UniversityUniversity of Colorado BoulderUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill<b>Background</b>: Recent studies of US adult mortality demonstrate a growing disadvantage among southern states. Few studies have examined long-term trends and geographic patterns in US early life (ages 1 to 24) mortality, ages at which key risk factors and causes of death are quite different than among adults. <b>Objective</b>: This article examines trends and variations in early life mortality rates across US states and census divisions. We assess whether those variations have changed over a 50-year time period and which causes of death contribute to contemporary geographic disparities. <b>Methods</b>: We calculate all-cause and cause-specific death rates using death certificate data from the Multiple Cause of Death files, combining public-use files from 1965‒2004 and restricted data with state geographic identifiers from 2005‒2014. State population (denominator) data come from US decennial censuses or intercensal estimates. <b>Results</b>: Results demonstrate a persistent mortality disadvantage for young people (ages 1 to 24) living in southern states over the last 50 years, particularly those located in the East South Central and West South Central divisions. Motor vehicle accidents and homicide by firearm account for most of the contemporary southern disadvantage in US early life mortality. <b>Contribution</b>: Our results illustrate that US children and youth living in the southern United States have long suffered from higher levels of mortality than children and youth living in other parts of the country. Our findings also suggest the contemporary southern disadvantage in US early life mortality could potentially be reduced with state-level policies designed to prevent deaths involving motor vehicles and firearms.https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol42/11/early life healthgeographic disparitieshomicidemortalitymotor vehicle accidentsu.s. south |
| spellingShingle | Nathan T. Dollar Iliya Gutin Elizabeth M. Lawrence David B. Braudt Samuel Fishman Richard G. Rogers Robert A. Hummer The persistent southern disadvantage in US early life mortality, 1965‒2014 Demographic Research early life health geographic disparities homicide mortality motor vehicle accidents u.s. south |
| title | The persistent southern disadvantage in US early life mortality, 1965‒2014 |
| title_full | The persistent southern disadvantage in US early life mortality, 1965‒2014 |
| title_fullStr | The persistent southern disadvantage in US early life mortality, 1965‒2014 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The persistent southern disadvantage in US early life mortality, 1965‒2014 |
| title_short | The persistent southern disadvantage in US early life mortality, 1965‒2014 |
| title_sort | persistent southern disadvantage in us early life mortality 1965 2014 |
| topic | early life health geographic disparities homicide mortality motor vehicle accidents u.s. south |
| url | https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol42/11/ |
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