Native America Calling: Disparity widens for Native American life expectancy

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Native America Calling: Disparity widens for Native American life expectancy

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

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Disparity widens for Native American life expectancy

A new study finds the death rate for Native Americans — which was already higher than other groups — is much higher than previously thought.

The analysis just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds the gap in life expectancy between Native Americans and Alaska Natives and the national average is almost three times wider than what official statistics say it is. The researchers point to the fact that more than 40% of death certificates misidentify Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

One of the study’s researchers says the discrepancies indicate “statistical erasure” in routine public health data has obscured the severity of a mortality crisis among Native people.

Tune into Native America Calling to get a handle on the new study and what is behind the numbers.

The life expectancy of American Indian and Alaska Native individuals is underestimated due to racial misclassification on death certificates, according to this longitudinal cohort study. https://t.co/FfEsRqnw35 pic.twitter.com/k5KWdquxSn
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) June 16, 2025

Guests on Native America Calling

Michael Bird (Kewa Pueblo and Ohkay Owingeh), past president of the American Public Health Association and past national consultant for AARP

Stephanie Woolhandler, distinguished professor at the City University of New York – Hunter College

"Inaccurate, missing, and inaccessible data recapitulate and perpetuate hundreds of years of federal government failures."

This Editorial addresses efforts to correct systemic underreporting of American Indian and Alaska Native health data. https://t.co/Vy20NQtdpK pic.twitter.com/Fckza8rgmE
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) June 16, 2025