Department of Sociology Population Studies Center Cause-Specific Contributions to Sex Differences in Adult Mortality among Whites and African Americans from 1960 to 1995 Irma T. Elo Greg L. Drevenstedt Department of Sociology Population Studies Center University of Pennsylvania

Age Group Contributions to Sex Difference in Life Expectancy at Birth, African Americans and Whites, 1960 and 1995 African Americans Whites

Preston et al. (1998) for African Americans Purpose: To investigate cause-specific contributions to sex differences in African American and white mortality at ages 15-39 and 40-64 from 1960 to 1995 Data Sources Deaths: 1960-67: Centers for Disease Control 1968-95: National Center for Health Statistics Population: U.S. Bureau of the Census Census Undercount: Preston et al. (1998) for African Americans Census Bureau estimates for whites

Causes of Death 3 time periods: 1960-1972, 1973-1983, 1984-1995 12 cause groups at ages 40-64: HIV infections, pneumonia, and influenza lung cancer breast cancer all other cancers diabetes stroke circulatory disease, excl. stroke homicide accidents and injuries symptoms and ill-defined conditions all other causes of death 11 cause groups at ages 15-39: HIV infections, pneumonia, and influenza maternal causes cancer diabetes stroke circulatory disease, excl. stroke homicide accidents and injuries symptoms and ill-defined conditions all other causes of death 3 time periods: 1960-1972, 1973-1983, 1984-1995

Methods 1. Calculate age-standardized death rates at ages 15-39 2. Estimate cause-specific contributions to the sex difference in all-cause mortality pi = (ASDRMi-ASDRWi)/(ASDRM-ASDRW) i indexes cause group: pi = 1. 3. Estimate cause-specific contributions to change in the sex difference in all-cause mortality (ASDRMi,t -ASDRWi,t)= ai+bi (ASDRM-ASDRW) i indexes cause group; t indexes year: bi = 1. See Preston (1976) and Gragnolati et al. (1999) for earlier applications.

Conclusions Sex mortality differences are larger for African Americans than whites due to more adverse mortality trends for African American males than for African American females or whites males or white females. The search for explanations must focus not only on differences in health behaviors by race and sex, but on the broader social context in which these behaviors are embedded.