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There are significant disparities in life expectancy by race and gender in the United States. Which of the following accurately orders life expectancy from the lowest (dying at a younger age) to the highest (dying at an older age)?

User Han
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Final answer:

Life expectancy disparities in the U.S. follow race and gender lines, with Black males having the lowest, followed by White males, Black females, and the highest being White females. These disparities are reflected in statistics like mortality rates and are influenced by many factors including healthcare access and socioeconomic status.

Step-by-step explanation:

Ordering Life Expectancy by Race and Gender

Life expectancy disparities in the United States are marked by differences along lines of race and gender. To accurately order life expectancy from the lowest to the highest, considering data from various sources including the U.S. Census Bureau and the CDC, we can observe that Black males have the lowest life expectancy, followed by White males, then Black females, and the highest life expectancy is observed in White females. This is attributed to many factors including access to healthcare, prevalence of diseases, socioeconomic factors, and more. For instance, in 2018, the life expectancy for White males was approximately 78.8 years compared to 74.7 years for Black males. Additionally, women have longer life expectancies than men; in 2015 life expectancy at birth was 77 years for males and 82 years for females in the United States.

Health disparities also manifest in other statistics, such as infant mortality rates and the prevalence of chronic illnesses. African Americans, for instance, have a mortality rate that is 16% higher than that of Whites, and this is even more pronounced in infant and maternal mortality rates. Addressing these disparities requires a multifaceted approach involving public health policy, social reforms and improved healthcare accessibility.

User GangaRam Dewasi
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