Widening Life Expectancy Advantage of Hispanics in the United States: 1990-2010.
We examine trends in the Hispanic longevity advantage between 1990 and 2010, focusing on the contribution of cigarette smoking. We calculate life expectancy at age 50 for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites between 1990 and 2010. We use an indirect method to calculate the contribution of smoking to changes over time in life expectancy. Among women, the Hispanic advantage in life expectancy grows from 2.14 years in 1990 (95 % CI 1.99-2.30 years) to 3.53 years in 2010 (3.42-3.64 years). More than 40 % of this increase reflects widening differences in smoking-attributable mortality. The advantage for Hispanic men increases from 2.27 years (2.14-2.41 years) to 2.91 years (2.81-3.01 years), although smoking makes only a small contribution. Despite persistent disadvantage, US Hispanics have increased their longevity advantage over non-Hispanic whites since 1990, much of which reflects the continuing importance of cigarette smoking to the Hispanic advantage.
Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University, 68 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA, andrew_fenelon@brown.edu.
Andrew
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Fenelon
Laura
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Blue
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000639:trends; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data