JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Comparative Study
Excess Mortality and Years of Potential Life Lost Among the Black Population in the US, 1999-2020.
Amid efforts in the US to promote health equity, there is a need to assess recent progress in reducing excess deaths and years of potential life lost among the Black population compared with the White population. ⋯ Over a recent 22-year period, the Black population in the US experienced more than 1.63 million excess deaths and more than 80 million excess years of life lost when compared with the White population. After a period of progress in reducing disparities, improvements stalled, and differences between the Black population and the White population worsened in 2020.
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Health inequities exist for racial and ethnic minorities and persons with lower educational attainment due to differential exposure to economic, social, structural, and environmental health risks and limited access to health care. ⋯ The economic burden of racial and ethnic and educational health inequities is unacceptably high. Federal, state, and local policy makers should continue to invest resources to develop research, policies, and practices to eliminate health inequities in the US.