A recent study shows that the rate of Native and white Americans dying prematurely is increasing. This is heavily due to drug overdoses and suicides among these individuals. On the other hand, African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics have seen fewer deaths in recent years, mainly due to gains in the treatment and detection of cancer, HIV, and heart disease. Despite this increase in premature death among white Americans, these individuals are still living longer on average compared to African Americans; however, this gap is closing. As for Native Americans, they are primarily affected by a long history of behavioral health roots that provide several complexities when studying the causes of premature death.
See Michael Nedelman, More White, Native Americans Dying Early, Study Says, CNN, January 26, 2017.
