http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mortality30aug30,1,4986634.story >From the Los Angeles Times
Study finds whites still outlive blacks Health issues and homicide are among the reasons for a persistent disparity in groups' life expectancies, but some findings are puzzling. By Mary Engel Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 30, 2007 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. <snip> -- Jim Devine / "In the years since the phrase became a cliché, I have received any number of compliments for my supposed ability to 'think outside the box.' Actually, it has been a struggle for me to perceive just what these 'boxes' were — why they were there, why other people regarded them as important, where their borderlines might be, how to live safely within and without them." -- Tim Page
