White men in California can expect to live an average of seven more years than black men, according to a new study that echoes national surveys of the long-documented black-white gap. Heart disease and homicides account for much of the difference in life expectancies.
White women in California live on average about five years longer than African American women, in large part because of higher rates of diabetes and stroke in the latter group.
"What was surprising to me was how persistent this black-white gap has been over time," said Helen Lee, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California and the study's lead author.
"The fact that it has persisted to this day is concerning and begs the question of why."
"Death in the Golden State," released by the San Francisco-based institute last night, sought to answer that question -- and potentially bridge the gaps -- by identifying causes of death among different racial and ethnic groups.
Some of the findings raised as many questions as they answered.
Across all racial and ethnic groups, Californians with more than a high school education have longer life spans than those with a high school education or less. Higher education typically correlates with higher socioeconomic status -- and better living conditions. Black-white disparities persisted, however, among those with similar levels of education.
The study found that Asians and Latinos in California had higher life expectancies than whites and blacks.
In addition, Latinos had significantly longer life expec- tancies than African Americans. Yet poverty rates for Latinos are similar to those for blacks, and Latinos are less likely to have health insurance. The differences are puzzling but may not last.
Mortality rates for Latinos and Asians may be underestimated because those groups are less likely than whites and blacks to report ethnicity on death certificates, the study noted.
The data for the study were drawn from California death certificates from 2000 through 2002.
Immigration probably also contributed to the longer life expectancies for both Latinos and Asians, Lee said.
People who immigrate here from nearby countries -- such as Mexico -- often go home to die, she said.
And immigrants overall tend to be healthier than subsequent generations that adopt such American habits as eating too much junk food and watching too much television.
