Race, education, and mortality in North Carolina

              ,03/z ; 82.
No. 82 April 1994
RACE, EDUCATION, AND MORTALITY
IN NORTH CAROLINA
by
Paul A. Buescher
Jack K. Leiss
ABSTRACT
N C. DOCUMENTS
CLEARINGHOUSE
m W WW
N.C. STATE LtBRARY
RALEIGH
Higher mortality among blacks in the United States and among persons of lower socioeconomic
status have been well documented. There has been less research on the interaction of race and socio-economic
status with regard to mortality. The present study addresses this issue. The major objective
is to determine if racial differences in mortality remain after controlling for socioeconomic status, as
measured by education. Death certificate data for 1989-91 were combined with 1990 census data on
population to compute age-adjusted mortality rates by race-sex group and educational level for persons
age 25 and over.
It was found that blacks had substantially higher age-adj usted mortality at every level ofeducation.
Significant mortality differences by education were observed in each race-sex group. The largest
mortality differences between racial groups and between higher and lower educational groups were
found at the youngest ages. The limitations of using education as an indicator of socioeconomic status
are discussed.
A number of factors could be responsible for the racial differences in mortality that persist after
controlling for education. These may include more limited health care access for blacks, different
income and occupational characteristics for blacks at the same educational level as whites, and racism
and racial discrimination resulting in a variety of negative outcomes including increased stress and
associated health problems.
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT. HEALTH. AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEHNR