Study finds blacks still die earlier than whites

The (Nashville) Tennessean ^ | 7.1.02 | Jack Hurst

[mhking]

More blacks continue to die earlier than whites in America, a disparity that has remained static in the past century despite medical advances that have stretched the life spans of all races, according to a new study co-authored by a Meharry Medical College professor.

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

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[Unknown Freeper]

bump

[Shermy]

Interesting, but I'd like to see regional stats, and comparison with similarly economically-situated whites and others.

[Clemenza]

I once worked with a largely black staff when I was the night auditor at a Chicago hotel and admired the fact that they didn't wuss out when it came to eating fattening foods. My ex-coworkers may die of a coronary before 60, but they will die with a smile on their face.

[abishai]

no, no, no,...the grim reaper is just a racist, pure and simple!

[Optimist]

Racial profiling must stop!

[ex-snook]

Hey men die sooner than women. Gender discrimination too! Time to check out the various religions too.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Did they factor in drug overdoses and 'drive-by shootings'

[Steve0113]

I wonder how much of this is the result of young black men shooting each other.

[Darth Reagan]

It takes them a while, but they finally get around to it:

''If you're in a house whose value isn't going to rise as fast, and it costs you a whole lot more to borrow to buy that house, your wealth level isn't going to be as much. That's what the typical African-American family today is facing. And if you don't have the wealth, how can you expect to invest in education or in health? These are all investments.''

So, what we need to do is transfer wealth from the wealthy to the not so wealthy so that they can afford health care. Here's an idea for those who can't "invest in education or in health", don't buy a TV. That same money could buy a lot of immunizations. I don't mean to sound callous, but they need to look beyond the simple economics to determine why the disparity has existed almost unchanged for 100 years. Look at factors ranging from cultural and diet factors to whether blacks are more susceptible to some diseases, such as hypertension and sickle-cell anemia.

[Steve0113]

I forgot about the drug involvement. That has to be part of it, too.

[general_re]

Unfortunately, it's at the tail end of the lifespan that things like diet start having an effect - there's a huge disparity in younger people as well. I happened to be looking up some mortality stats a few weeks ago - for black men aged 15-19, the leading cause of death in 1999 was homicide. For black men aged 20-24 the leading cause of death in 1999 was homicide. For black men aged 25-34 the leading cause of death in 1999 was homicide. For black men aged 35-44, the leading cause of death in 1999 was HIV.

I have to believe that all those deaths at such young ages have the effect of dragging the average lifespan of black men way down, comparatively speaking. It may be culture in part, but I don't think many of them live long enough for diet to be much of a problem...

[truth_session]

It's that crack.

[KSCITYBOY]

Are us honkies gonna have to start committing suicide to get the percentages back in line?

[billbears]

Hey that's not necessarily true. My grandparents ate fatback for years straight out of the frying pan, still do on occasion, and are both well into their 90s. I grew up on fatback and fried chicken livers. My philosphy is if it isn't fried (besides steak and limited vegetables of course), it's not much worth eating. Last physical I had was good blood pressure, and only 10 pounds overweight

[wardaddy]

The adage that so many crow about one's dwelling being an investment is such a canard. Once you get beyond basic needs, one's home is much more about lifestyle than an investment unless one is in the business of buying fixeruppers and fixing them and then reselling them.

[Smogger]

What a ridiculous statement. You think there are enough overdoses and drivwe by shootings to effect a sample of this size?

Table 1. Drug abuse, arrest, imprisonment odds by age and race, California, 1995-99

Whites over age 30 comprise:
36% of state “at risk” population (age 10-69)
60% of drug deaths
24% of drug arrests
25% of drug imprisonments

Blacks over age 30 comprise: 4% of state “at risk” population (age 10-69)
10% of drug deaths
14% of drug arrests
22% of drug imprisonments

Hispanics over age 30 comprise:
16% of state “at risk” population (age 10-69)
17% of drug deaths
12% of drug arrests
20% of drug imprisonments

Asians over age 30 comprise:
8% of state “at risk” population (age 10-69)
2% of drug deaths
2% of drug arrests
2% of drug imprisonments

Whites under age 30 comprise:
16% of state “at risk” population (age 10-69)
7% of drug deaths
19% of drug arrests
7% of drug imprisonments

Blacks under age 30 comprise:
3% of state “at risk” population (age 10-69)
1% of drug deaths
8% of drug arrests
8% of drug imprisonments

Hispanics under age 30 comprise:
13% of state “at risk” population (age 10-69)
3% of drug deaths
20% of drug arrests
16% of drug imprisonments

Asians under age 30 comprise:
5% of state “at risk” population (age 10-69)
1% of drug deaths
2% of drug arrests
1% of drug imprisonments

Note: “Percent change” results from dividing the most recent rate (1998 for overdoses and arrests, 1999 for imprisonments) by the corresponding rate for 1980 (arrests and imprisonments) or 1985 (overdoses). “Absolute change” results from subtracting the 1980 or 1985 rate from its corresponding 1998 rate. The 1998 or 1999 rate is per 100,000 population by race and age (<30 is age 15-29; >30 is age 30-69).

Imprisonments: Data Analysis Unit, California Department of Corrections
Overdoses: Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services

As you can see blacks are a very low percentage of drug related deaths while whites and hispanics account for 87% of drug related deaths. I am sure the statistics are similar nationally. I think you can safely exclude overdoses as a mitigating factor.

[stainlessbanner]

''I noticed in a book that the black-white mortality ratio in 1900 was about 1.63 and in 1998 it was 1.58,'' Levine recalled. ''I said, 'That's amazing. That's a hundred years, and it's almost no change.' It's really antithetical to what this country stands for.''

Our Founders never said black guys would die at the same rate as white guys - they didn't cross the Atlantic to sustain mortality rates. What is it with these guys anyway?