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The underlying CDC study of American Indian and Alaska Native mortality is worth reading on its own. stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/110370 @ShoshanaBee76/1463683257787043845
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"National life expectancy estimates, published for the white and black populations regularly since 1900, have not been produced for the entire non-Hispanic AIAN population until this [2021] report"
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Some of this long delay can be attributed to the very high rates of misclassification of Native Americans/American Indians and Alaska Natives on death certificates.
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The AIAN Mortality database covers 64% of the Native American population, but is limited to counties w/ the IHS A study on 2008 mortality in this disproportionately reservation-centered sample (though with many Wester urban areas) found AIAN life expectancy of 71.
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This study can't see past misclassification, but instead adjusts figures to compensate. Also, handling Hispanic-origin Natives was too complicated and the researchers did not attempt it.
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The result: American Indian and Alaska Native life expectancy at birth in 2019: 71.8 years male 68.6 female 75.0




