Gender Differentials in the Leading Causes of Death among African American in the United States

Monique Wilson, Morgan State University
Mian B. Hossain, Morgan State University

The leading causes of death in the United States have been defined by the National Center for Health Statistics. Ranking causes of death allows for one to illustrate cause-specific mortality. The ten leading causes of death accounted for almost 80 percent of the deaths that occurred in the United States in 2000. There are a number of factors that can contribute to mortality differentials. The purpose of this research is to investigate the gender differential in these leading causes of mortality among African American. Researches have shown that even after accounting for income, education and other factors, African Americans have a shorter life expectancy than whites. This research examines any gender differentials in mortality among African American controlling for the effect of other socio-economic background. Findings suggest that African American males are at larger risk of having Diabetes Mellitus, Influenza and Pneumonia compared to African American females when controlling for the effect of socio-economic background.