The risk of drug overdose death among adults with select types of disabilities in the United States - A longitudinal study using nationally representative data.

BACKGROUND: Disability is associated with increased risk of drug overdose mortality, but previous studies use coarse and inconsistent methods to identify adults with disabilities. This investigation makes use of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services disability questions to estimate the risk of drug overdose death among U.S. adults using seven established disability categories. METHODS: The longitudinal Mortality Disparities in American Communities study was used to determine disability status among a nationally representative sample of adults age ≥18 in 2008 (n = 3,324,000). Through linkage to the National Death Index, drug overdose deaths were identified through 2019. Adults in mutually-exclusive disability categories (hearing, vision, cognitive, mobility, complex activity, ≥2 limitations) were compared to adults with no reported disabilities using adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and controlling for demographic and socioeconomic covariates. RESULTS: The risk of drug overdose death varied considerably by disability type, as adults in some disability categories displayed only marginally significant risk, while adults in other disability categories displayed substantially elevated risk. Compared to non-disabled adults, the risk of drug overdose death was highest among adults with ≥2 limitations (aHR = 3.0, 95% CI = 2.8-3.3), cognitive limitation (aHR = 2.6, 95% CI = 2.3-2.9), mobility limitation (aHR = 2.6, 95% CI = 2.3-2.9), complex activity limitation (aHR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.8-2.9), hearing limitation (aHR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.3-1.9), and vision limitation (aHR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.0-1.7). CONCLUSIONS: The examination of specific disability categories revealed unique associations that were not apparent in previous research. These findings can be used to focus overdose prevention efforts on the populations at greatest risk for drug-related mortality.

Fatal Drug Overdose Risks of Health Care Workers in the United States : A Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite an unprecedented increase in drug overdose deaths in the United States, the risks faced by U.S. health care workers, who often have access to controlled prescription drugs, are not known. OBJECTIVE: To estimate risks for drug overdose death among health care workers relative to non-health care workers. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: Health care workers (n = 176 000) and non-health care workers (n = 1 662 000) aged 26 years or older surveyed in 2008 and followed for cause of death through 2019. MEASUREMENTS: Age- and sex-standardized drug overdose deaths were determined for 6 health care worker groups (physicians, registered nurses, other treating or diagnosing health care workers, health technicians, health care support workers, and social or behavioral health workers) and non-health care workers. Adjusted drug overdose death hazards (and 95% CIs) were also evaluated, with adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, income, urban or rural residence, and region. RESULTS: Approximately 0.07% of our study sample died of a drug overdose during follow-up. Among health care workers, annual standardized rates of drug overdose death per 100 000 persons ranged from 2.3 (95% CI, 0 to 4.8) for physicians to 15.5 (CI, 9.8 to 21.2) for social or behavioral health workers. Compared with those for non-health care workers, the adjusted hazards of total drug overdose death were significantly increased for social or behavioral health workers (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.55 [CI, 1.74 to 3.73]), registered nurses (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.22 [CI, 1.57 to 3.13]), and health care support workers (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.60 [CI, 1.19 to 2.16]), but not for physicians (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.61 [CI, 0.19 to 1.93]), other treating or diagnosing health care workers (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.93 [CI, 0.44 to 1.95]), or health technicians (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.13 [CI, 0.75 to 1.68]). Results were generally similar for opioid-related overdose deaths and unintentional overdose deaths. LIMITATION: Unmeasured confounding, uncertain validity of cause of death, and one-time assessment of occupation. CONCLUSION: Registered nurses, social or behavioral health workers, and health care support workers were at increased risk for drug overdose death, suggesting the need to identify and intervene on those at high risk. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Self-Reported Disability Type and Risk of Alcohol-Induced Death - A Longitudinal Study Using Nationally Representative Data.

BACKGROUND: Disability is associated with alcohol misuse and drug overdose death, however, its association with alcohol-induced death remains understudied. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the risk of alcohol-induced death among adults with different types of disabilities in a nationally representative longitudinal sample of US adults. METHODS: Persons with disabilities were identified among participants ages 18 or older in the Mortality Disparities in American Communities (MDAC) study (n = 3,324,000). Baseline data were collected in 2008 and mortality outcomes were ascertained through 2019 using the National Death Index. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for the association between disability type and alcohol-induced death, controlling for demographic and socioeconomic covariates. RESULTS: During a maximum of 12 years of follow-up, 4000 alcohol-induced deaths occurred in the study population. In descending order, the following disability types displayed the greatest risk of alcohol-induced death (compared to adults without disability): complex activity limitation (aHR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.3-2.3), vision limitation (aHR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.2-2.0), mobility limitation (aHR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.3-1.7), ≥2 limitations (aHR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.3-1.6), cognitive limitation (aHR = 1.2; 95% CI = 1.0-1.4), and hearing limitation (aHR = 1.0; 95% CI = 0.9-1.3). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of alcohol-induced death varies considerably by disability type. Efforts to prevent alcohol-induced deaths should be tailored to meet the needs of the highest-risk groups, including adults with complex activity (i.e., activities of daily living - "ALDs"), vision, mobility, and ≥2 limitations. Early diagnosis and treatment of alcohol use disorder within these populations, and improved access to educational and occupational opportunities, should be considered as prevention strategies for alcohol-induced deaths.

Suicide Risks of Health Care Workers in the US.

Importance: Historically elevated risks of suicide among physicians may have declined in recent decades. Yet there remains a paucity of information concerning suicide risks among other health care workers. Objective: To estimate risks of death by suicide among US health care workers. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cohort study of a nationally representative sample of workers from the 2008 American Community Survey (N = 1 842 000) linked to National Death Index records through December 31, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age- and sex-standardized suicide rates were estimated for 6 health care worker groups (physicians, registered nurses, other health care-diagnosing or treating practitioners, health technicians, health care support workers, social/behavioral health workers) and non-health care workers. Cox models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) of suicide for health care workers compared with non-health care workers using adjusted HRs for age, sex, race and ethnicity, marital status, education, and urban or rural residence. Results: Annual standardized suicide rates per 100 000 persons (median age, 44 [IQR, 35-53] years; 32.4% female [among physicians] to 91.1% [among registered nurses]) were 21.4 (95% CI, 15.4-27.4) for health care support workers, 16.0 (95% CI, 9.4-22.6) for registered nurses, 15.6 (95% CI, 10.9-20.4) for health technicians, 13.1 (95% CI, 7.9-18.2) for physicians, 10.1 (95% CI, 6.0-14.3) for social/behavioral health workers, 7.6 (95% CI, 3.7-11.5) for other health care-diagnosing or treating practitioners, and 12.6 (95% CI, 12.1-13.1) for non-health care workers. The adjusted hazards of suicide were increased for health care workers overall (adjusted HR, 1.32 [95% CI, 1.13-1.54]), health care support workers (adjusted HR, 1.81 [95% CI, 1.35-2.42]), registered nurses (adjusted HR, 1.64 [95% CI, 1.21-2.23]), and health technicians (adjusted HR, 1.39 [95% CI, 1.02-1.89]), but adjusted hazards of suicide were not increased for physicians (adjusted HR, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.71-1.72]), social/behavioral health workers (adjusted HR, 1.14 [95% CI, 0.75-1.72]), or other health care-diagnosing or treating practitioners (adjusted HR, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.36-1.03) compared with non-health care workers (reference). Conclusions: Relative to non-health care workers, registered nurses, health technicians, and health care support workers in the US were at increased risk of suicide. New programmatic efforts are needed to protect the mental health of these US health care workers.

Living Alone and Suicide Risk in the United States, 2008‒2019.

Objectives. To evaluate the association between living alone and suicide and how it varies across sociodemographic characteristics. Methods. A nationally representative sample of adults from the 2008 American Community Survey (n = 3 310 000) was followed through 2019 for mortality. Cox models estimated hazard ratios of suicide across living arrangements (living alone or with others) at the time of the survey. Total and sociodemographically stratified models compared hazards of suicide of people living alone to people living with others. Results. Annual suicide rates per 100 000 person-years were 23.0 among adults living alone and 13.2 among adults living with others. The age-, sex-, and race/ethnicity-adjusted hazard ratio of suicide for living alone was 1.75 (95% confidence interval = 1.64, 1.87). Adjusted hazards of suicide associated with living alone varied across sociodemographic groups and were highest for adults with 4-year college degrees and annual incomes greater than $125 000 and lowest for Black individuals. Conclusions. Living alone is a risk marker for suicide with the strongest associations for adults with the highest levels of income and education. Because these associations were not controlled for psychiatric disorders, they should be interpreted as noncausal. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(12):1774-1782. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307080).

Lower rates of cancer and all-cause mortality in an Adventist cohort compared with a US Census population.

BACKGROUND: Previous research suggests that Adventists, who often follow vegetarian diets, live longer and have lower risks for many cancers than others, but there are no national data and little published comparative data for black subjects. METHODS: This study compared all-cause mortality and cancer incidence between the nationally inclusive Adventist Health Study 2 (AHS-2) and nonsmokers in US Census populations: the National Longitudinal Mortality Study (NLMS) and its Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results substudy. Analyses used proportional hazards regression adjusting for age, sex, race, cigarette smoking history, and education. RESULTS: All-cause mortality and all-cancer incidence in the black AHS-2 population were significantly lower than those for the black NLMS populations (hazard ratio [HR] for mortality, 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59-0.69; HR for incidence, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.68-0.88). When races were combined, estimated all-cause mortality was also significantly lower in the AHS-2 population at the age of 65 years (HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.64-0.69) and at the age of 85 years (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.75-0.81), as was cancer mortality; this was also true for the rate of all incident cancers combined (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.67-0.74) and the rates of breast, colorectal, and lung cancers. Survival curves confirmed the mortality results and showed that among males, AHS-2 blacks survived longer than white US subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Substantially lower rates of all-cause mortality and cancer incidence among Adventists have implications for the effects of lifestyle and perhaps particularly diet on the etiology of these health problems. Trends similar to those seen in the combined population are also found in comparisons of black AHS-2 and NLMS subjects.

Neighborhood Opportunity and Mortality Among Children and Adults in Their Households.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Research has linked neighborhood opportunity to health outcomes in children and adults; however, few studies have examined neighborhood opportunity and mortality risk among children and their caregivers. The objective of this study was to assess associations of neighborhood opportunity and mortality risk in children and their caregivers over 11 years. METHODS: Participants included 1 025 000 children drawn from the Mortality Disparities in American Communities study, a cohort developed by linking the 2008 American Community Survey to the National Death Index and followed for 11 years. Neighborhood opportunity was measured using the Child Opportunity Index, a measure designed to capture compounding inequities in access to opportunities for health. RESULTS: Using hazard models, we observed inverse associations between Child Opportunity Index quintile and deaths among child and caregivers. Children in very low opportunity neighborhoods at baseline had 1.30 times the risk of dying over follow-up relative to those in very high opportunity neighborhoods (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.45), and this excess risk attenuated after adjustment for household characteristics (hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.98-1.34). Similarly, children in very low opportunity neighborhoods had 1.57 times the risk of experiencing the death of a caregiver relative to those in very high opportunity neighborhoods (95% CI, 1.50-1.64), which remained after adjustment (hazard ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.23-1.38). CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses advance understanding of the adverse consequences of inequitable neighborhood contexts for child well-being and underscore the potential importance of place-based policies for reducing disparities in child and caregiver mortality.

Deaths Of Despair: Adults At High Risk For Death By Suicide, Poisoning, Or Chronic Liver Disease In The US.

Discourse on deaths of despair, which include suicide, poisoning, and chronic liver disease, has focused on middle-aged White working-class adults with less than a college education. Yet longitudinal research has not examined what groups are at highest risk for these causes of death. Respondents to the 2008 American Community Survey were followed through 2015 for mortality from suicide, poisoning, or chronic liver disease. The overall mortality rate for deaths of despair was 41.3 per 100,000 person-years. The highest-risk groups were adults with functional disabilities (102.8 per 100,000 person-years), American Indian/Alaska Native people (102.6), working-age adults who are not employed (77.3), separated or divorced people (76.5), people with net income losses (70.6), and people with military service (67.0). Most of these groups remained at increased risk after several potential confounders were controlled for. These findings offer a deeper perspective on which adults are at highest risk for deaths of despair.

Socioeconomic risk factors for fatal opioid overdoses in the United States: Findings from the Mortality Disparities in American Communities Study (MDAC).

BACKGROUND: Understanding relationships between individual-level demographic, socioeconomic status (SES) and U.S. opioid fatalities can inform interventions in response to this crisis. METHODS: The Mortality Disparities in American Community Study (MDAC) links nearly 4 million 2008 American Community Survey responses to the 2008-2015 National Death Index. Univariate and multivariable models were used to estimate opioid overdose fatality hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Opioid overdose was an overrepresented cause of death among people 10 to 59 years of age. In multivariable analysis, compared to Hispanics, Whites and American Indians/Alaska Natives had elevated risk (HR = 2.52, CI:2.21-2.88) and (HR = 1.88, CI:1.35-2.62), respectively. Compared to women, men were at-risk (HR = 1.61, CI:1.50-1.72). People who were disabled were at higher risk than those who were not (HR = 2.80, CI:2.59-3.03). Risk was higher among widowed than married (HR = 2.44, CI:2.03-2.95) and unemployed than employed individuals (HR = 2.46, CI:2.17-2.79). Compared to adults with graduate degrees, those with high school only were at-risk (HR = 2.48, CI:2.00-3.06). Citizens were more likely than noncitizens to die from this cause (HR = 4.62, CI:3.48-6.14). Compared to people who owned homes with mortgages, those who rented had higher HRs (HR = 1.36, CI:1.25-1.48). Non-rural residents had higher risk than rural residents (HR = 1.46, CI:1.34, 1.59). Compared to respective referent groups, people without health insurance (HR = 1.30, CI:1.20-1.41) and people who were incarcerated were more likely to die from opioid overdoses (HR = 2.70, CI:1.91-3.81). Compared to people living in households at least five-times above the poverty line, people who lived in poverty were more likely to die from this cause (HR = 1.36, CI:1.20-1.54). Compared to people living in West North Central states, HRs were highest among those in South Atlantic (HR = 1.29, CI:1.11, 1.50) and Mountain states (HR = 1.58, CI:1.33, 1.88). DISCUSSION: Opioid fatality was associated with indicators of low SES. The findings may help to target prevention, treatment and rehabilitation efforts to vulnerable groups.

Dose-Response Association of Low-Intensity and Nondaily Smoking With Mortality in the United States.

Importance: An increasing proportion of US smokers smoke at low intensity and not every day. Some nondaily smokers have always had this pattern, whereas others previously smoked daily. The effect of reducing the level of smoking from daily to nondaily smoking and the dose response at low smoking levels are poorly understood. Objective: To evaluate risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality among nondaily and daily cigarette smokers, by cigarettes per month, years after reducing from daily to nondaily smoking, and years since quitting. Design, Setting, and Participants: A prospective cohort study using harmonized data from multiple cycles of the Tobacco Use Supplements to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS), linked to the National Death Index, were analyzed during the period from 2018 to 2020. Adults completed the 1992-1993, 1995-1996, 1998-1999, 2000, 2001-2002, 2003, 2006-2007, or 2010-2011 TUS-CPS. Cigarette smokers were classified as daily or nondaily users; current nondaily smokers were further categorized by whether they previously smoked every day. Main Outcomes and Measures: Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for risks of mortality vs never smoking. Age was the underlying time metric, adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, education, survey year, and household income. Results: Among 505 500 participants (aged 18-103 years), approximately 47 000 deaths occurred. The median number of cigarettes smoked per month was 600 (interquartile range, 300-600) (20 cigarettes per day [interquartile range, 10-20 cigarettes per day]) for daily cigarette smokers and 40 (interquartile range, 15-90) for lifelong nondaily smokers. Nevertheless, both current daily (HR, 2.32; 95% CI, 2.25-2.38) and lifelong nondaily (HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.65-2.01) smokers had higher all-cause mortality risks than never smokers. Associations were observed for 6 to 10 cigarettes per month and increased with greater-intensity use. Nondaily smokers who previously smoked every day had lower mortality risks than daily smokers, with similar HRs after 10 or more years of nondaily smoking as lifelong nondaily smokers (HR vs never smokers, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.56-1.92). Yet, their risks were higher than former smokers who quit 10 or more years before (HR vs never smokers, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.15-1.22). Conclusions and Relevance: Although reducing smoking from daily to nondaily was associated with decreased mortality risk, cessation was associated with far greater benefit. Lifelong nondaily smokers have higher mortality risks than never smokers, even among those smoking 6 to 10 cigarettes per month. Thus, all smokers should quit, regardless of how infrequently they smoke.

Alcohol-Related Deaths of US Health Care Workers.

This cohort study investigates the risk of alcohol-related death among US health care workers compared with non­health care workers.

Are associations between psychosocial stressors and incident lung cancer attributable to smoking?

PURPOSE: To learn whether reported associations between major psychosocial stressors and lung cancer are independent of smoking history. METHODS: Subjects were at least 25 years old and without lung cancer at enrollment in the United States Census Bureau's National Longitudinal Mortality Survey in 1995-2008. Follow-up via Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results and National Death Index continued until lung cancer diagnosis, death, or December 2011. Involuntary unemployment, widowhood, and divorce, stratified by sex, were tested for association with subsequent lung cancer using proportional hazards regression for competing risks. Smoking status, years smoked, cigarettes per day, and years since quitting were imputed when missing. RESULTS: At enrollment, subjects (n = 100,733, 47.4% male, age 49.1(±15.8) years) included 17.6% current smokers, 23.5% former smokers. Of men and women, respectively, 11.3% and 15.0% were divorced/separated, 2.9% and 11.8% were widowed, and 2.9% and 2.3% were involuntarily unemployed. Ultimately, 667 subjects developed lung cancer; another 10,071 died without lung cancer. Adjusted for age, education, and ancestry, lung cancer was associated with unemployment, widowhood, and divorce/separation in men but not women. Further adjusted for years smoked, cigarettes per day, and years since quitting, none of these associations was significant in either sex. CONCLUSIONS: Once smoking is accounted for, psychosocial stressors in adulthood do not independently promote lung cancer. Given their increased smoking behavior, persons experiencing stressors should be referred to effective alternatives to smoking and to support for smoking cessation.

Living Alone and Drug Overdose Deaths in the US.

This cohort study examines the risk of drug overdose death in individuals who live alone.

Association of Cigarette, Cigar, and Pipe Use With Mortality Risk in the US Population.

Importance: Tobacco products have changed in recent years. Contemporary mortality risk estimates of combustible tobacco product use are needed. Objective: To investigate the mortality risks associated with current and former use of cigars, pipes, and cigarettes. Design, Setting, and Participants: The National Longitudinal Mortality Study is a longitudinal population-based, nationally representative health survey with mortality follow-up that includes demographic and other information from the Current Population Survey, tobacco product use information from the Tobacco Use Supplement, and mortality data from the National Death Index. In this study, participants provided tobacco use information at baseline in surveys starting from 1985 and were followed for mortality through the end of 2011. The study includes 357 420 participants who reported exclusively using cigar, pipes, or cigarettes or reported never using any type of tobacco product. Exposures: Current or former exclusive use of any cigar (little cigar, cigarillos, large cigar), traditional pipe, or cigarette and never tobacco use. Information on current daily and nondaily use was also collected. Estimates adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and survey year. Main Outcomes and Measures: All-cause and cause-specific mortality as identified as the primary cause of death from death certificate information. Results: Of the 357 420 persons included in the analysis, the majority of current and former cigar and pipe smokers were male (79.3%-98.0%), and smokers were more evenly divided by sex (46% of current daily smokers were male). There were 51 150 recorded deaths during follow-up. Exclusive current cigarette smokers (hazard ratio [HR], 1.98; 95% CI, 1.93-2.02) and exclusive current cigar smokers (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.03-1.38) had higher all-cause mortality risks than never tobacco users. Exclusive current cigarette smokers (HR, 4.06; 95% CI, 3.84-4.29), exclusive current cigar smokers (HR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.11-2.32), and exclusive current pipe smokers (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.05-2.38) had an elevated risk of dying from a tobacco-related cancer (including bladder, esophagus, larynx, lung, oral cavity, and pancreas). Among current nondaily cigarette users, statistically significant associations were observed with deaths from lung cancer (HR, 6.24; 95% CI, 5.17-7.54), oral cancer (HR, 4.62; 95% CI, 1.84-11.58), circulatory death (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.30-1.57), cardiovascular death (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.11-1.39), cerebrovascular death (stroke) (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.12-1.74), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR, 7.66; 95% CI, 6.09-9.64) as well as for daily smokers. Conclusions and Relevance: This study provides further evidence that exclusive use of cigar, pipes, and cigarettes each confers significant mortality risks.

Comparing Cancer Registry Abstracted and Self-Reported Data on Race and Ethnicity.

Data on racial and ethnic subgroups from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, End Results (SEER) program and Census Bureau population estimates are used to estimate cancer incidence rates. A SEER-National Longitudinal Mortality Study (NLMS) linkage of cancer cases diagnosed during 1973­2001 revealed mismatches in race classification from these sources affecting race-specific cancer incidence and mortality rates, particularly for minorities such as American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AIANs). Cancer registries obtain demographic data from various sources, including patient intake and provider records, administrative databases, and imputation algorithms. The primary Census Bureau source for racial/ethnic population denominators is self-reported survey data. We examined 7,970 SEER-NLMS cases diagnosed during 2003­2011 to update the comparison of patient race/ethnicity in cancer registry and population data sets. SEER and self-reported data did not agree for 5% of cases. The sensitivity of SEER data was better for whites (99%) and non-Hispanics (98%) than for multiracial individuals (23%) and all AIANs (40%). Intermediate sensitivities were seen for blacks as well as AIANs in Indian Health Service contract health service delivery areas (91%), Asians and Pacific Islanders (90%), and Hispanics (84%). As the United States becomes more diverse, a need exists to align race and ethnicity data from central cancer registries with population data, particularly for minority and multiracial groups. High-quality registry data on race and ethnicity, collected in a similar way as population estimates, will enhance cancer surveillance.

Educational Disparities in Mortality Between Adults Aged 50-64 and 66-79 Years, U.S.

INTRODUCTION: This study estimated differences in educational disparities in mortality between ages 50-64 and 66-79 years in the U.S. and explored factors contributing to the differences. METHODS: Based on the follow-up of a nationally representative cohort in the National Longitudinal Mortality Study 2002-2011, relative differences in educational disparities (relative index of inequality) between people aged 50-64 and 66-79 years were calculated for deaths from all causes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, injuries, and other causes by sex and race/ethnicity. Analyses were conducted in 2016. RESULTS: In all racial/ethnic-, sex-, and age-specific groups, death rates were higher among the least educated than the most educated groups for all causes combined and most specific causes except for injuries in non-Hispanic blacks. Among non-Hispanic whites, the relative index of inequality for all causes combined among the younger and older age groups was 5.6 (95% CI=4.9, 6.5) and 2.8 (95% CI=2.6, 3.0), respectively. Among non-Hispanic blacks, corresponding index values were 4.1 (95% CI=3.6, 4.6) and 1.7 (95% CI=1.6, 1.8). Larger disparities in the younger age group were also observed for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes among non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and all races combined. CONCLUSIONS: Educational disparities in mortality among non-Hispanic whites and blacks were 41%-61% lower in people aged 66-79 years than in those aged 50-64 years. Various factors may contribute to diminished disparities in the elderly, including differences in access to care, health perception, stress level, lifestyle, and health behaviors with advancing age and retirement.

National underascertainment of sudden unexpected infant deaths associated with deaths of unknown cause.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate underascertainment of unexpected infant deaths at the national level as a result of probable classification as attributable to unknown cause. METHODS: Using linked birth and death certificates for all US birth cohorts from 1983-1991 and 1995-1996, we identified 53 470 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) fatalities, 9071 unintentional injury deaths, 3473 injury deaths classified with intentional or suspicious intent, and 8097 deaths with unknown underlying cause. For these deaths, we compared relative risks (RRs) for maternal and infant variables available on birth certificates known to be predictive of SIDS, unintentional injury, and homicides. Variables available on death certificates were compared for unlinked and linked records. Factors related to state and national management of cases pending final cause determination are reviewed. RESULTS: For deaths from unknown cause, rates were consistently high among the same risk groups that have been shown to be at increased risk for SIDS, unintentional injury, and homicides. For most risk factors, RRs for deaths attributable to unknown causes were somewhat lower than for RRs for intentional/suspicious injury deaths but higher than for SIDS or unintentional injury, indicating combined contributions from all causes. For example, age at death from unknown cause includes RRs that more strongly resemble patterns of intentional/suspicious injuries than SIDS or unintentional injury. Deaths from unknown cause were more likely to occur during the first week of life for unattended births occurring outside clinical settings or when birth certificates were not found, similar to intentional/suspicious injury deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Risk profiles indicate that deaths of unknown cause are likely to represent a mixture of unexpected deaths. The process for determination of cause of unexpected death affects national underascertainment of SIDS and injury deaths. Better coordination among child fatality review teams and local, state, and national officials should reduce underascertainment and improve documentation of circumstances surrounding deaths for prevention efforts.