Longevity disparities in multiethnic Hawaii: an analysis of 2000 life tables.
OBJECTIVE
We examined differences among seven major ethnic groups in Hawaii in life expectancy at birth (e[0]) and mortality at broad age groups.


METHODS
We constructed life tables for 2000 for Caucasian, Chinese, Filipino, Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, and Samoan ethnic groups in Hawaii. We partitioned overall mortality into broad age groups: <15 (representing premature mortality), 15-65 (representing working age), and 66-84 and > or =85 (representing senescent mortality).


RESULTS
The overall e(O) in Hawaii was 80.5 years, but the difference between the longest-living group (Chinese) and the shortest-living group (Samoan) was 13 years. Chinese had the lowest mortality rates in each age group except the > or =85 category. In this last age group, we observed anomalously low rates for some new immigrant groups (especially Samoan males) suggesting, as a cause, that elders in these immigrant groups may return to natal countries in their old age and die there. In the <15 age group, mortality rates for Samoans and Koreans were highest, especially for Korean girls, suggesting some continuance in the U.S. of a preference for boy children. Outside of these anomalies, ethnic differences in e(O) were likely explained by socioeconomic and behavioral variables known to affect mortality levels, which are closely associated with ethnicity in Hawaii.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings confirm the need to disaggregate Asian and Pacific Islander data, to conduct ethnic-specific research, and to address socioeconomic disparities.
Park
Chai Bin
CB
University of Hawaii, Department of Public Health Sciences, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. parkc@hawaii.edu
Braun
Kathryn L
KL
Horiuchi
Brian Y
BY
Tottori
Caryn
C
Onaka
Alvin T
AT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000208:ethnology*; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D055815:Young Adult