MORTALITY BY HISPANIC STATUS IN THE UNITED-STATES

Objective.-To compare all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates bet ween Hispanic and non-Hispanic groups and estimate the effect of famil y income, place of birth, and place of residence on these rates. Desig n.-Cohort study using national survey data matched to the National Dea th Index, with a mortality follow-up period of 9 years. Setting.-The n oninstitutionalized population of the United States. Participants.-App roximately 700 000 respondents (aged 25 years or older), including 40 000 Hispanics, to national surveys conducted by the US Bureau of the C ensus (Current Population Surveys). Outcome Measures.-All causes and u nderlying cause of death, coded from the death certificate, occurring between 1979 and 1987. Results.-Adjusting for age, Hispanics were show n to have lower mortality from all causes compared with non-Hispanics (standardized rate ratio [SRR], 0.74 for men, 0.82 for women), lower m ortality from cancer (SRR, 0.69 for men, 0.61 for women), lower mortal ity from cardiovascular disease (SRR, 0.65 for men, 0.80 for women), h igher mortality from diabetes (SRR, 1.86 for men, 2.38 for women), and higher mortality from homicide (SRR, 3.60 for men). After adjusting f or differences in annual family income, the relative mortality ratios were even lower for Hispanics than non-Hispanics. Conclusions.-These d ata describe, in a large national cohort study, a lower mortality in H ispanics than in non-Hispanics. This mortality is particularly low aft er adjustment for differences in family income.