What If We Were Equal? A Comparison Of The Black-White Mortality Gap In 1960 And 2000
Open accessAbstract
The United States has made progress in decreasing the black-white gap in civil rights, housing, education, and income since 1960, but health inequalities persist. We examined trends in black-white standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for each age-sex group from 1960 to 2000. The black-white gap measured by SMR changed very little between 1960 and 2000 and actually worsened for infants and for African American men age thirty-five and older. In contrast, SMR improved in African American women. Using 2002 data, an estimated 83,570 excess deaths each year could be prevented in the United States if this black-white mortality gap could be eliminated.
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Racism and capitalism burrowing under the skin-whether by bullets or environmental toxins-cause premature death: an estimated 83,570 excess deaths each year could be prevented in the United States if this black-white mortality gap could be eliminated.
“Racism and capitalism burrowing under the skin-whether by bullets or environmental toxins-cause premature death:”
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- Authors
- Satcher, D., Fryer, G. E., McCann, J., Troutman, A., Woolf, S. H., & Rust, G.
- Affiliations
- Morehouse School of Medicine (US)
- Venue
- Health Affairs
- Publisher
- Health Affairs Publishing, LLC
- Published
- 2005-03
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 459-464
- ISSN
- 0278-2715 (ISSN-L)
- 1544-5208
- OpenAlex
- W2104291181
- Cited by
- 295
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 21.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- Health Affairs (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University Libraries (University of Maryland) (submittedVersion)
- Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (University of Maryland College Park)
- Funders
- National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (P20MD000272, P20 MD00272-02, U54MD008173)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Global Cancer Incidence and Screening
- Keywords
- black-white mortality gap, racial disparities in health, standardized mortality ratio, African Americans, infant mortality, excess mortality, sex differences in mortality, health disparities
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Black or African American, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Middle Aged, Mortality, Social Justice, United States, White People
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