The Life Expectancy Gap is Shrinking, Yet Racial Discrepancies Still Remain Throughout the U.S.

Many factors will essentially determine the longevity of individuals around the globe. Now, a recent study published in the journal Health Affairs picks apart racial discrepancies that have been considerably reduced but still remain widely varied throughout parts of the country.

Researchers from McGill University in Canada calculated the life expectancy rates for whites and blacks within each state from 1990 to 2009. During that time, researchers found that the overall life expectancy gap decreased by 2.7 years for men and 1.7 years for females.

"Nationwide differences in U.S. life expectancy trends for blacks and whites may mask considerable differences by state that are relevant to policies aimed at reducing health inequalities," researchers noted, in a news release. "We found considerable variation across states in both the magnitude of the life expectancy gap (approximately 15 years) and the change during the past two decades (about six years),"

Some regions of the country showed more success than others. For instance, the life-expectancy gap for those in the Middle Atlantic and New England regions demonstrated the most success. However, the Northern, Pacific and Southern regions showed the least success.

Researchers also found that New York made the largest contribution to overall decline in national life expectancy rates between black and white individuals. Furthermore, findings revealed that the state held high capabilities to reduce the death rate tied to HIV/AIDS.

Researchers concluded that there is still a significant amount of work left in closing such discrepancies. However, knowing how to close them is a start to fixing the problem.

"Given that many social and health policies are implemented at the state level, looking at how specific states have fared can provide important clues for addressing these health inequalities. Our results should be of particular interest to state public health officials focused on reducing racial differences in health," concluded lead study author Sam Harper, of the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health in the Faculty of Medicine.