Library Index :: Minorities: Race and Ethnicity in America :: Health - Health Care, Pregnancy And Birth, Diseases And Minority Populations, Aids, Behaviors That Threaten Health

Health - Life Expectancy And Death

Life Expectancy

Women tend to live longer than men, and whites are likely to live longer than African-Americans. When comparing the life expectancies of African-American and white babies, African-American males born in 2003 had the shortest life expectancy of sixty-nine years, while white females had the longest life expectancy of 80.5 years. African-American females had a life expectancy of 76.1 years, and white males had a life expectancy of 75.3 years. (See Table 6.17.) According to Health, United States, 2005, the life expectancy of all groups at birth had risen dramatically since 1900, especially for African-Americans.

Age-adjusted death rates are measured per one hundred thousand in a specified population group. In 2003 African-Americans died at a higher rate than white Americans, with a death rate of 1,319.1 for African-American males and 885.6 for African-American females, compared with a death rate of 973.9 for white males and 693.1 for white females. (See Table 6.17.)

Leading Causes of Death

In 2003 heart disease was the leading cause of death among Americans, with 232.3 deaths per one hundred thousand of the population that year. Cancers (malignant neoplasms) were the second-leading cause of death, with 190.1 deaths per one hundred thousand population, followed by cerebrovascular diseases, which caused 53.5 deaths per one hundred thousand population. Chronic lower respiratory diseases and accidents rounded out the top five leading causes of death that year. (See Table 6.18.)

In 2002 heart disease was the leading cause of death among every racial or ethnic group except for Asians and Pacific Islanders, who died more often from malignant neoplasms. That year, 77,621 (26.8%) African-Americans, 27,887 (23.8%) Hispanics, and 9,983 (26%) Asians and Pacific Islanders died of heart disease. Cancer was the second-leading cause of death among African-Americans, and stroke was the third-leading cause. (See Table 6.19.)

The Health, United States, 2005 reports that in 2002 unintentional injuries, including automobile accidents, were particularly high in the Native American community, causing 1,488 deaths, as well as in the Hispanic community, causing 10,106 deaths. Native American males had a particularly high rate of motor vehicle deaths—thirty-nine TABLE 6.13 Male adult/adolescent AIDS cases by exposure category and race/ethnicity, reported through 2004 "Table 19. Reported AIDS Cases for Male Adults and Adolescents, by Transmission Category and Race/Ethnicity, Cumulative through 2004—United States," in HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2004, vol. 16, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005, http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports/2004report/default.htm (accessed January 26, 2006)per one hundred thousand, compared with the overall rate of 15.7 per one hundred thousand population. Suicide was the eighth-leading cause of death for both Native Americans and Asians and Pacific Islanders. Homicide ranked tenth among Native Americans, seventh among Hispanics, and sixth among African-Americans. (See Table 6.19.)

TABLE 6.13
Male adult/adolescent AIDS cases by exposure category and race/ethnicity, reported through 2004
aIncludes persons with a diagnosis of AIDS, reported from the beginning of the epidemic through 2004. Cumulative total includes 1,701 males of unknown race or multiple races.
bTotal includes 133 males of unknown race or multiple races.
SOURCE: "Table 19. Reported AIDS Cases for Male Adults and Adolescents, by Transmission Category and Race/Ethnicity, Cumulative through 2004—United States," in HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2004, vol. 16, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005, http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports/2004report/default.htm (accessed January 26, 2006)
Transmission category White, not Hispanic Black, not Hispanic Hispanc
2004 Cumulative through 2004a 2004 Cumulative through 2004a 2004 Cumulative through 2004a
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Male-to-male sexual contact 7,369 66 242,529 73 4,671 34 94,831 37 3,200 45 58,981 43
Injection drug use 933 8 30,632 9 2,289 17 80,347 31 1,295 18 44,012 32
Male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use 760 7 29,220 9 573 4 20,212 8 305 4 9,838 7
Hemophilia/coagulation disorder 43 0 3,931 1 17 0 598 0 10 0 454 0
Heterosexual contact 416 4 7,130 2 2,115 15 26,096 10 782 11 9,562 7
    Sex with injection drug user 76 1 2,198 1 239 2 6,487 3 110 2 2,247 2
    Sex with person with hemophilia 1 0 36 0 2 0 30 0 1 0 11 0
    Sex with HIV-infected transfusion recipient 7 0 178 0 14 0 209 0 7 0 115 0
    Sex with HIV-infected person, risk factor not specified 332 3 4,718 1 1,860 13 19,370 7 664 9 7,189 5
Receipt of blood transfusion, blood components, or tissue 26 0 3,182 1 41 0 1,197 0 19 0 640 0
Other/risk factor not reported or identified 1,610 14 14,980 5 4,127 30 35,801 14 1,479 21 13,073 10
    Total 11,157 100 331,604 100 13,833 100 259,082 100 7,090 100 136,560 100
Transmission category Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaska Native Total
2004 Cumulative through 2004a 2004 Cumulative through 2004a 2004 Cumulative through 2004a
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Male-to-male sexual contact 228 58 4,144 69 70 47 1,302 55 15,607 48 402,722 55
Injection drug use 13 3 288 5 22 15 369 16 4,564 14 155,872 21
Male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use 16 4 244 4 23 16 402 17 1,696 5 60,038 8
Hemophilia/coagulation disorder 1 0 67 1 0 0 31 1 71 0 5,096 1
Heterosexual contact 32 8 326 5 14 9 103 4 3,373 10 43,347 6
    Sex with injection drug user 2 1 57 1 6 4 33 1 435 1 11,048 1
    Sex with person with hemophilia 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 78 0
    Sex with HIV-infected transfusion recipient 0 0 8 0 0 0 3 0 29 0 517 0
    Sex with HIV-infected person, risk factor not specified 30 8 260 4 8 5 67 3 2,905 9 31,704 4
Receipt of blood transfusion, blood components, or tissue 3 1 118 2 1 1 9 0 90 0 5,163 1
Other/risk factor not reported or identified 102 26 810 14 18 12 140 6 7,355 22 65,062 9
    Total 395 100 5,997 100 148 100 2,356 100 32,756 100 737,300 100

HOMICIDE

Health, United States, 2005 states that homicides are disproportionately high in the non-Hispanic African-American population, and the high homicide rate among African-Americans might be one of the reasons African-American men in their twenties and thirties have a higher death rate than men that age in other ethnic and racial groups. In 2002 there were 83.1 deaths per one hundred thousand African-American men between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four, and 82.2 deaths per one hundred thousand African-American men between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four. In comparison, there were 5.2 deaths per one hundred thousand white, non-Hispanic men ages fifteen to twenty-four, and 5.3 deaths per one hundred thousand white, non-Hispanic men ages twenty-five to thirty-five.

According to Health, United States, 2005, in 2002 Hispanics, like African-Americans, had a higher homi-TABLE 6.14 Female adult/adolescent AIDS cases by exposure category and race/ethnicity, reported through 2004 "Table 21. Reported AIDS Cases for Female Adults and Adolescents, by Transmission Category and Race/Ethnicity, Cumulative through 2004—United States," in HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2004, vol. 16, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005, http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports/2004report/default.htm (accessed January 26, 2006)cide rate than most other groups, particularly among youth. The death rate for Hispanic men ages fifteen to twenty-four years was 29.6 per one hundred thousand; for Hispanic men ages twenty-five to thirty-four it was 19.8 per one hundred thousand. However, between 1990 and 2002 the homicide death rate among all Hispanic men dropped from 27.4 to 11.6, a hopeful sign for the future.

TABLE 6.14
Female adult/adolescent AIDS cases by exposure category and race/ethnicity, reported through 2004
aIncludes persons with a diagnosis of AIDS, reported from the beginning of the epidemic through 2004. Cumulative total includes 481 females of unknown race or multiple races.
bTotal includes 56 females of unknown race or multiple races.
SOURCE: "Table 21. Reported AIDS Cases for Female Adults and Adolescents, by Transmission Category and Race/Ethnicity, Cumulative through 2004—United States," in HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2004, vol. 16, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005, http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports/2004report/default.htm (accessed January 26, 2006)
Transmission category White, not Hispanic Black, not Hispanic Hispanic
2004 Cumulative through 2004a 2004 Cumulative through 2004a 2004 Cumulative through 2004a
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Injection drug use 604 31 13,985 40 1,268 17 36,710 36 445 21 11,979 37
Hemophilia/coagulation disorder 2 0 117 0 13 0 139 0 4 0 63 0
Heterosexual contact 796 40 14,324 41 3,355 44 43,319 42 1,021 49 15,937 49
    Sex with injection drug user 192 10 5,363 15 478 6 12,843 13 186 9 6,115 19
    Sex with bisexual male 50 3 1,714 5 158 2 2,053 2 36 2 728 2
    Sex with person with hemophilia 7 0 318 1 6 0 110 0 2 0 44 0
    Sex with HIV-infected transfusion recipient 5 0 331 1 20 0 252 0 7 0 118 0
    Sex with HIV-infected person, risk factor not specified 542 27 6,598 19 2,693 35 28,061 27 790 38 8,932 27
Receipt of blood transfusion, blood components, or tissue 22 1 1,858 5 66 1 1,516 1 17 1 610 2
Other/risk factor not reported or identified 548 28 4,393 13 2,884 38 20,423 20 597 29 4,212 13
    Total 1,972 100 34,677 100 7,586 100 102,107 100 2,084 100 32,801 100
Transmission category Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaska Native Total
2004 Cumulative through 2004a 2004 Cumulative through 2004a 2004b Cumulative through 2004a
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Injection drug use 7 7 115 12 21 34 256 43 2,355 20 63,181 37
Hemophilia/coagulation disorder 1 1 7 1 1 2 3 1 21 0 331 0
Heterosexual contact 47 47 489 52 30 48 246 41 5,278 45 74,540 43
    Sex with injection drug user 7 7 108 11 7 11 92 15 871 7 24,568 14
    Sex with bisexual male 3 3 80 9 3 5 29 5 251 2 4,617 3
    Sex with person with hemophilia 0 0 4 0 0 0 2 0 15 0 478 0
    Sex with HIV-infected transfusion recipient 2 2 22 2 2 3 5 1 37 0 733 0
    Sex with HIV-infected person, risk factor not specified 35 35 275 29 18 29 118 20 4,104 35 44,144 26
Receipt of blood transfusion, blood components, or tissue 1 1 94 10 0 0 14 2 106 1 4,111 2
Other/risk factor not reported or identified 43 43 235 25 10 16 78 13 4,099 35 29,440 17
    Total 99 100 940 100 62 100 597 100 11,859 100 171,603 100

HIV AND AIDS

The difference in the HIV/AIDS death rate among the racial and ethnic groups is staggering, with a much higher rate among African-Americans than any other group of Americans. In 2004, 7,978 African-Americans died from AIDS, compared with 4,316 whites, 3,228 Hispanics, ninety-one Native Americans, and eighty-two Asians and Pacific Islanders. (See Table 6.20.) Health, United States, 2005 reports that the HIV/ AIDS death rate for African-American males in 2002 was 33.3 per one hundred thousand, compared with 9.1 per one hundred thousand Hispanic males, 3.4 per one hundred thousand Native American males, and 1.5 per one hundred thousand Asian and Pacific Islander males. The death rate for African-American females was also very high in that year, at 13.4 per one hundred thousand, compared with 2.6 per one hundred thousand Hispanic females and 0.6 per one hundred thousand non-Hispanic white females.

TABLE 6.15 Tobacco product use, by demographic characteristics, 2003 and 2004 Table 2.26B. Tobacco Product Use in Lifetime, Past Year, and Past Month among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by Demographic Characteristics: Percentages, 2003 and 2004," in Results from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2005, http://www.drugabusestatistics.samhsa.gov/NSDUH.htm#NSDUHinfo (accessed January 26, 2006)

TABLE 6.15
Tobacco product use, by demographic characteristics, 2003 and 2004
Demographic characteristic Time period
Lifetime Past year Past month
2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004
Note: Tobacco products include cigarettes, smokeless tobacco (i.e., chewing tobacco or snuff), cigars, or pipe tobacco. Tobacco product use in the past year excludes past year pipe tobacco use, but includes past month pipe tobacco use
aDifference between estimate and 2004 estimate is statistically significant at the 0.05 level
bDifference between estimate and 2004 estimate is statistically significant at the 0.01 level
cLow precision; no estimate reported.
SOURCE: "Table 2.26B. Tobacco Product Use in Lifetime, Past Year, and Past Month among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by Demographic Characteristics: Percentages, 2003 and 2004," in Results from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2005, http://www.drugabusestatistics.samhsa.gov/NSDUH.htm#NSDUHinfo (accessed January 26, 2006)
   Total 72.7b 71.4 35.1 34.5 29.8 29.2
Age
12-17 34.5b 32.7 22.5 22.1 14.4 14.4
18-25 74.8a 73.5 53.8 54.3 44.8 44.6
26 or older 77.6a 76.4 33.5 32.8 29.3 28.5
Gender
Male 79.8 79.3 42.4 42.3 35.9 35.7
Female 66.1b 64.0 28.2 27.2 24.0 23.1
Hispanic origin and race
Not Hispanic or Latino 74.6 73.8 35.9 35.2 30.6 30.1
    White 78.1 77.3 37.0 36.8 31.6 31.4
    Black or African American 63.3 62.1 34.0 31.6 30.0 27.3
    American Indian or Alaska Native 79.4 83.1 48.4 41.5 41.8 33.8
    Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 60.6 c 42.0 c 37.0 c
    Asian 45.3 44.9 18.3 15.9 13.8 11.7
    Two or more races 76.8 79.1 40.2 46.6 34.4 41.3
Hispanic or Latino 59.9b 55.8 29.8 29.8 23.7 23.3

FIGURE 6.9 Current cigarette use, by race/ethnicity and age, 2004 "Figure 4.5. Current Cigarette Use, by Race/Ethnicity and Age: 2004," in Results from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2005, http://www.drugabusestatistics.samhsa.gov/NSDUH.htm#NSDUHinfo (accessed January 26, 2006)

FIGURE 6.10 Current, binge, and heavy alcohol use among persons aged 12 or older, by race/ethnicity, 2004 Figure 3.3. Current, Binge, and Heavy Alcohol Use among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by Race/Ethnicity: 2004," in Results from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2005, http://www.drugabusestatistics.samhsa.gov/NSDUH.htm#NSDUHinfo (accessed January 26, 2006)

TABLE 6.16 Illicit drug use, by demographic characteristics, 2003–04 Table 1.28B. Illicit Drug Use in Lifetime, Past Year, and Past Month among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by Demographic Characteristics: Percentages, 2003 and 2004," in Results from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2005, http://www.drugabusestatistics.samhsa.gov/NSDUH.htm#NSDUHinfo (accessed January 26, 2006)

TABLE 6.16
Illicit drug use, by demographic characteristics, 2003–04
Demographic characteristic Time period
Lifetime Past year Past month
2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004
Note: Illicit drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription-type psychotherapeutics used nonmedically.
aDifference between estimate and 2004 estimate is statistically significant at the 0.05 level
bLow precision; no estimate reported.
SOURCE: "Table 1.28B. Illicit Drug Use in Lifetime, Past Year, and Past Month among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by Demographic Characteristics: Percentages, 2003 and 2004," in Results from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2005, http://www.drugabusestatistics.samhsa.gov/NSDUH.htm#NSDUHinfo (accessed January 26, 2006)
   Total 46.4 45.8 14.7 14.5 8.2 7.9
Age
12-17 30.5 30.0 21.8 21.0 11.2 10.6
18-25 60.5 59.2 34.6 33.9 20.3 19.4
26 or older 46.1 45.6 10.3 10.2 5.6 5.5
Gender
Male 51.2 50.7 17.2 16.9 10.0 9.9
Female 41.9 41.1 12.4 12.2 6.5 6.1
Hispanic origin and race
Not Hispanic or Latino 47.7 47.3 14.7 14.7 8.2 8.0
    White 49.2 49.1 14.9 15.0 8.3 8.1
    Black or African American 44.6 43.3 15.4 14.6 8.7 8.7
    American Indian or Alaska Native 62.4 58.4 18.9 26.2 12.1 12.3
    Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 51.0 b 18.5 b 11.1 b
    Asian 25.6 24.3  7.1 6.9 3.8 3.1
    Two or more races 60.1 54.9 20.1 21.0 12.0 13.3
Hispanic or Latino 37.0 35.4 14.7a 12.9 8.0 7.2

TABLE 6.17 Deaths, age-adjusted death rates, and life expectancy at birth, by race and sex, 2002–03 Adapted from "Table 1. Deaths, Age-Adjusted Death Rates, and Life Expectancy at Birth, by Race and Sex; Maternal and Infant Deaths and Mortality Rates, by Race: United States, 2002 and 2003," in Deaths: Final Data for 2003, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, January 19, 2006, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/finaldeaths03/finaldeaths03.htm (accessed January 25, 2006)

TABLE 6.17
Deaths, age-adjusted death rates, and life expectancy at birth, by race and sex, 2002–03
Measure and sex All racesa,b Whiteb Blackb
2003 2002 2003 2002 2003 2002
aIncludes races other than white and black.
bCalifornia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New York, and Wisconsin reported multiple-race data in 2003. The multiple-race data for these states were bridged to the single-race categories of the 1977 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards for comparability with other states.
cAge-adjusted death rates are per 100,000 U.S. standard population, based on the year 2000 standard.
dLife expectancy at birth stated in years.
SOURCE: Adapted from "Table 1. Deaths, Age-Adjusted Death Rates, and Life Expectancy at Birth, by Race and Sex; Maternal and Infant Deaths and Mortality Rates, by Race: United States, 2002 and 2003," in Deaths: Final Data for 2003, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, January 19, 2006, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/finaldeaths03/finaldeaths03.htm (accessed January 25, 2006)
All deaths 2,448,288 2,443,387 2,103,714 2,102,589 291,300 290,051
Age-adjusted death ratec 832.7 845.3 817.0 829.0 1,065.9 1,083.3
    Male 994.3 1,013.7 973.9 992.9 1,319.1 1,341.4
    Female 706.2 715.2 693.1 701.3 885.6 901.8
Life expectancy at birthd 77.5 77.3 78.0 77.7 72.7 72.3
    Male 74.8 74.5 75.3 75.1 69.0 68.8
    Female 80.1 79.9 80.5 80.3 76.1 75.6

TABLE 6.18 Deaths, by race and sex for the 15 leading casuse of death, 2003 "Table 2. Percentage of Total Deaths, Death Rates, Age-Adjusted Death Rates for 2003, Percentage Change in Age-Adjusted Death Rates from 2002 to 2003 and Ratio of Age-Adjusted Death Rates by Race and Sex for the 15 Leading Causes of Death for the Total Population in 2003: United States," in Deaths: Final Data for 2003, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, January 19, 2006, ttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/finaldeaths03/finaldeaths03.htm (accessed January 25, 2006)

TABLE 6.18
Deaths, by race and sex for the 15 leading casuse of death, 2003
[Death rates on an annual basis per 100,000 population: age-adjusted rates per 100,000 U.S. standard population]
Ranka Cause of death (based on the Tenth Revision International Classification of Diseases, 1992) Number Percent of total deaths 2003 crude death rate Age-adjusted death rate
2003 Percent change Ratio
2002 to 2003 Male to female Black to white Hispanic to Non-Hispanic white
aRank based on number of deaths.
bCategory not applicable.
SOURCE: "Table 2. Percentage of Total Deaths, Death Rates, Age-Adjusted Death Rates for 2003, Percentage Change in Age-Adjusted Death Rates from 2002 to 2003 and Ratio of Age-Adjusted Death Rates by Race and Sex for the 15 Leading Causes of Death for the Total Population in 2003: United States," in Deaths: Final Data for 2003, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, January 19, 2006, ttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/finaldeaths03/finaldeaths03.htm (accessed January 25, 2006)
b All causes 2,448,288 100.0 841.9 832.7 −1.5 1.4 1.3 0.8
1 Diseases of heart (100-109,111,113,120-151) 685,089 28.0 235.6 232.3 −3.5 1.5 1.3 0.8
2 Malignant neoplasms (C00-C97) 556,902 22.7 191.5 190.1 −1.8 1.5 1.2 0.7
3 Cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69) 157,689 6.4 54.2 53.5 −4.8 1.0 1.5 0.8
4 Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47) 126,382 5.2 43.5 43.3 −0.5 1.4 0.7 0.4
5 Accidents (unintentional injuries) (V01-X59,Y85-Y86) 109,277 4.5 37.6 37.3 1.1 2.2 1.0 0.8
6 Diabetes mellitus (E10-E14) 74,219 3.0 25.5 25.3 −0.4 1.3 2.1 1.6
7 Influenza and pneumonia (J10-J18) 65,163 2.7 22.4 22.0 −2.7 1.4 1.1 0.8
8 Alzheimer's disease (G30) 63,457 2.6 21.8 21.4 5.9 0.8 0.8 0.6
9 Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis (N00-N07,N17-N19,N25-N27) 42,453 1.7 14.6 14.4 1.4 1.4 2.3 1.0
10 Septicemia (A40-A41) 34,069 1.4 11.7 11.6 −0.9 1.2 2.3 0.8
11 Intentional self-harm (suicide) (U03,X60-X84,Y87.0) 31,484 1.3 10.8 10.8 −0.9 4.3 0.4 0.4
12 Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (K70.K73-K74) 27,503 1.1 9.5 9.3 −1.1 2.2 0.9 1.6
13 Essential (primary) hypertension and hypertensive renal disease (110,112) 21,940 0.9 7.5 7.4 5.7 1.0 2.8 1.0
14 Parkinson's disease (G20-G21) 17,997 0.7 6.2 6.2 5.1 2.2 0.4 0.5
15 Assault (homicide) (U01-U02,X85-Y09,Y87.1) 17,732 0.7 6.1 6.0 −1.6 3.6 5.7 2.9
b All other causes (residual) 416,932 17.0 143.4 b b b b b

TABLE 6.19 Leading causes of death and numbers of deaths, by race and Hispanic origin, 1980 and 2002

TABLE 6.19
Leading causes of death and numbers of deaths, by race and Hispanic origin, 1980 and 2002
[Data are based on death certificates]
Sex, race, Hispanic origin, and rank order 1980 2002
Cause of death Deaths Cause of death Deaths
All persons
… All causes 1,989,841 All causes 2,443,387
 1 Diseases of heart 761,085 Diseases of heart 696,947
 2 Malignant neoplasms 416,509 Malignant neoplasms 557,271
 3 Cerebrovascular diseases 170,225 Cerebrovascular diseases 162,672
 4 Unintentional injuries 105,718 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 124,816
 5 Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases 56,050 Unintentional injuries 106,742
 6 Pneumonia and influenza 54,619 Diabetes mellitus 73,249
 7 Diabetes mellitus 34,851 Influenza and pneumonia 65,681
 8 Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 30,583 Alzheimers disease 58,866
 9 Atherosclerosis 29,449 Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis 40,974
10 Suicide 26,869 Septicemia 33,865
Black or African American
… All causes 233,135 All causes 290,051
 1 Diseases of heart 72,956 Diseases of heart 77,621
 2 Malignant neoplasms 45,037 Malignant neoplasms 62,617
 3 Cerebrovascular diseases 20,135 Cerebrovascular diseases 18,856
 4 Unintentional injuries 13,480 Diabetes mellitus 12,687
 5 Homicide 10,172 Unintentional injuries 12,513
 6 Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period 6,961 Homicide 8,287
 7 Pneumonia and influenza 5,648 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease 7,835
 8 Diabetes mellitus 5,544 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 7,831
 9 Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 4,790 Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis 7,488
10 Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis 3,416 Septicemia 6,137
American Indian or Alaska Native
… All causes 6,923 All causes 12,415
 1 Diseases of heart 1,494 Diseases of heart 2,467
 2 Unintentional injuries 1,290 Malignant neoplasms 2,175
 3 Malignant neoplasms 770 Unintentional injuries 1,488
 4 Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 410 Diabetes mellitus 744
 5 Cerebrovascular diseases 322 Cerebrovascular diseases 567
 6 Pneumonia and influenza 257 Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 547
 7 Homicide 217 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 452
 8 Diabetes mellitus 210 Suicide 324
 9 Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period 199 Influenza and pneumonia 293
10 Suicide 181 Homicide 267
Asian or Pacific Islander
… All causes 11,071 All causes 38,332
 1 Diseases of heart 3,265 Malignant neoplasms 9,998
 2 Malignant neoplasms 2,522 Diseases of heart 9,983
 3 Cerebrovascular diseases 1,028 Cerebrovascular diseases 3,530
 4 Unintentional injuries 810 Unintentional injuries 1,875
 5 Pneumonia and influenza 342 Diabetes mellitus 1,359
 6 Suicide 249 Influenza and pneumonia 1,171
 7 Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period 246 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 1,138
 8 Diabetes mellitus 227 Suicide 661
 9 Homicide 211 Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis 649
10 Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases 207 Septicemia 423

TABLE 6.19 Leading causes of death and numbers of deaths, by race and Hispanic origin, 1980 and 2002 [CONTINUED] Adapted from Table 31. Leading Causes of Death and Numbers of Deaths, according to Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: United States, 1980 and 2002, in Health, United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, 2005, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus05.pdf (accessed January 25, 2006)

TABLE 6.19
Leading causes of death and numbers of deaths, by race and Hispanic origin, 1980 and 2002 [CONTINUED]
[Data are based on death certificates]
Sex, race, Hispanic origin, and rank order 1980 2002
Cause of death Deaths Cause of death Deaths
Note: "…" = Category not applicable.
"—" = Data not available.
SOURCE: Adapted from Table 31. Leading Causes of Death and Numbers of Deaths, according to Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: United States, 1980 and 2002, in Health, United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, 2005, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus05.pdf (accessed January 25, 2006)
Hispanic or Latino
… — — All causes 117,135
 1 — — Diseases of heart 27,887
 2 — — Malignant neoplasms 23,141
 3 — — Unintentional injuries 10,106
 4 — — Cerebrovascular diseases 6,451
 5 — — Diabetes mellitus 5,912
 6 — — Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 3,409
 7 — — Homicide 3,129
 8 — — Chronic lower respiratory diseases 3,058
 9 — — Influenza and pneumonia 2,824
10 — — Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period 2,402

TABLE 6.20 Estimated numbers of deaths of persons with AIDS, by year of death and selected characteristics, 2000–04 Table 7. Estimated Numbers of Deaths of Persons with AIDS, by Year of Death and Selected Characteristics, 2000–2004—United States, in HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2004, vol. 16, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005, http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports/2004report/default.htm (accessed January 26, 2006)

TABLE 6.20
Estimated numbers of deaths of persons with AIDS, by year of death and selected characteristics, 2000–04
Year of death Cumulative through 2004a
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Note: These numbers do not represent reported case counts. Rather, these numbers are point estimates, which result from adjustments of reported case counts. The reported case counts are adjusted for reporting delays and for redistribution of cases in persons initially reported without an identified risk factor. The estimates do not include adjustment for incomplete reporting.
aIncludes persons who died with AIDS, from the beginning of the epidemic through 2004.
bIncludes hemophilia, blood transfusion, perinatal, and risk factor not reported or not identified.
cIncludes hemophilia, blood transfusion, and risk factor not reported or not identified.
dIncludes persons of unknown race or multiple races and persons of unknown sex. Cumulative total includes 836 persons of unknown race or multiple races. Because column totals were calculated independently of the values for the subpopulations, the values in each column may not sum to the column total.
SOURCE: Table 7. Estimated Numbers of Deaths of Persons with AIDS, by Year of Death and Selected Characteristics, 20002004United States, in HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2004, vol. 16, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005, http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports/2004report/default.htm (accessed January 26, 2006)
Age at death (years)
<13 52 46 32 28 18 5,094
13-14 8 4 11 7 16 266
15-19 41 44 39 43 32 1,055
20-24 167 215 167 175 184 8,808
25-29 710 635 595 569 505 44,516
30-34 1,993 1,744 1,555 1,373 1,157 96,357
35-39 3,346 3,292 3,108 2,969 2,404 116,206
40-44 3,523 3,835 3,726 3,800 3,378 100,633
45-49 3,081 3,121 3,364 3,432 3,016 67,842
50-54 1,966 2,152 2,396 2,524 2,314 39,936
55-59 1,007 1,141 1,228 1,403 1,343 22,452
60-64 593 655 621 726 701 12,946
>65 652 728 702 801 730 13,004
Race/ethnicity
White, not Hispanic 5,325 5,194 5,210 5,091 4,316 229,220
Black, not Hispanic 8,605 9,011 8,974 8,950 7,978 201,045
Hispanic 3,025 3,195 3,117 3,537 3,228 93,163
Asian/Pacific Islander 95 100 91 81 82 3,272
American Indian/Alaska Native 66 81 84 73 91 1,578
Transmission category
    Male adult or adolescent
    Male-to-male sexual contact 5,955 6,068 6,016 5,990 5,450 256,053
    Injection drug use 4,070 4,074 4,062 4,116 3,308 109,070
    Male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use 1,324 1,366 1,323 1,322 1,180 39,467
    Heterosexual contact 1,389 1,528 1,513 1,634 1,548 24,268
    Otherb 195 166 167 160 113 9,843
    Subtotal 12,933 13,202 13,080 13,222 11,599 438,701
Female adult or adolescent
    Injection drug use 1,892 1,907 1,977 1,989 1,744 41,178
    Heterosexual contact 2,150 2,342 2,331 2,470 2,327 39,576
    Otherb 87 91 91 101 67 4,142
    Subtotal 4,129 4,340 4,400 4,560 4,138 84,897
Child (<13 yrs at diagnosis)
    Perinatal 72 66 59 61 57 4,982
    Otherc 53664
    Subtotal 77 69 65 67 61 5,515
Region of residence
Northeast 5,200 5,130 5,213 5,654 4,019 169,693
Midwest 1,622 1,646 1,623 1,199 1,234 50,333
South 7,078 7,386 7,361 7,839 7,192 181,690
West 2,567 2,683 2,585 2,428 2,540 108,183
U.S. dependencies, possessions, and associated nations 672 766 763 730 814 19,214
    Totald 17,139 17,611 17,544 17,849 15,798 529,113

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