Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1997 May;87(5):800–804. doi: 10.2105/ajph.87.5.800

Region of birth and mortality from circulatory diseases among black Americans.

D Schneider 1, M R Greenberg 1, L L Lu 1
PMCID: PMC1381053  PMID: 9184509

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the relationship between birth-place and mortality from circulatory diseases among American Blacks. METHODS: All Black deaths from circulatory diseases (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision. codes 390 through 459) were extracted from the National Center for Health Statistics mortality detail files for 1979 through 1991. Age-specific and age-adjusted mortality rates with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for males and females for combinations of five regions of residence at birth and four regions of residence at death. RESULTS: Males had higher mortality rates from circulatory diseases than females in every regional combination of birthplace and residence at death. For both genders, the highest rates were for those who were born in the South but died in the Midwest; the lowest rates were for those who were born in the West but died in the South. Excess mortality for both Southern-born males and females begins at ages 25 through 44. CONCLUSIONS: There is a region-of-birth component that affects mortality risk from circulatory diseases regardless of gender or residence at time of death. We must examine how early life experiences affect the development of circulatory disorders.

Full text

PDF
801

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ben-Shlomo Y., Smith G. D. Deprivation in infancy or in adult life: which is more important for mortality risk? Lancet. 1991 Mar 2;337(8740):530–534. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(91)91307-g. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cooper E. S. Cardiovascular diseases and stroke in African Americans: a call for action. J Natl Med Assoc. 1993 Feb;85(2):97–100. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cooper R. S., Simmons B., Castaner A., Prasad R., Franklin C., Ferlinz J. Survival rates and prehospital delay during myocardial infarction among black persons. Am J Cardiol. 1986 Feb 1;57(4):208–211. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(86)90892-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Elford J., Phillips A. N., Thomson A. G., Shaper A. G. Migration and geographic variations in ischaemic heart disease in Great Britain. Lancet. 1989 Feb 18;1(8634):343–346. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(89)91722-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Elford J., Shaper A. G., Whincup P. Early life experience and cardiovascular disease--ecological studies. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1992 Feb;46(1):1–8. doi: 10.1136/jech.46.1.1-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Elford J., Whincup P., Shaper A. G. Early life experience and adult cardiovascular disease: longitudinal and case-control studies. Int J Epidemiol. 1991 Dec;20(4):833–844. doi: 10.1093/ije/20.4.833. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fall C. H., Barker D. J., Osmond C., Winter P. D., Clark P. M., Hales C. N. Relation of infant feeding to adult serum cholesterol concentration and death from ischaemic heart disease. BMJ. 1992 Mar 28;304(6830):801–805. doi: 10.1136/bmj.304.6830.801. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Feinleib M., Ingster L., Rosenberg H., Maurer J., Singh G., Kochanek K. Time trends, cohort effects, and geographic patterns in stroke mortality--United States. Ann Epidemiol. 1993 Sep;3(5):458–465. doi: 10.1016/1047-2797(93)90096-m. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Flanders W. D. Inaccuracies of death certificate information. Epidemiology. 1992 Jan;3(1):3–5. doi: 10.1097/00001648-199201000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Forsdahl A. Are poor living conditions in childhood and adolescence an important risk factor for arteriosclerotic heart disease? Br J Prev Soc Med. 1977 Jun;31(2):91–95. doi: 10.1136/jech.31.2.91. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Forsdahl A. Living conditions in childhood and subsequent development of risk factors for arteriosclerotic heart disease. The cardiovascular survey in Finnmark 1974-75. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1978 Mar;32(1):34–37. doi: 10.1136/jech.32.1.34. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Garg R., Madans J. H., Kleinman J. C. Regional variation in ischemic heart disease incidence. J Clin Epidemiol. 1992 Feb;45(2):149–156. doi: 10.1016/0895-4356(92)90007-a. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gillum R. F., Grant C. T. Coronary heart disease in black populations. II. Risk factors. Am Heart J. 1982 Oct;104(4 Pt 1):852–864. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(82)90022-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gillum R. F. Prevalence of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases and risk factors by region and urbanization in the United States. J Natl Med Assoc. 1994 Feb;86(2):105–112. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Gittelsohn A., Senning J. Studies on the reliability of vital and health records: I. Comparison of cause of death and hospital record diagnoses. Am J Public Health. 1979 Jul;69(7):680–689. doi: 10.2105/ajph.69.7.680. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Gordon T., Kagan A., Garcia-Palmieri M., Kannel W. B., Zukel W. J., Tillotson J., Sorlie P., Hjortland M. Diet and its relation to coronary heart disease and death in three populations. Circulation. 1981 Mar;63(3):500–515. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.63.3.500. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Greenberg M., Schneider D. Region of birth and mortality of blacks in the United States. Int J Epidemiol. 1992 Apr;21(2):324–328. doi: 10.1093/ije/21.2.324. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Greenberg M., Schneider D. The cancer burden of southern-born African Americans: analysis of social-geographic legacy. Milbank Q. 1995;73(4):599–620. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Haywood L. J. Coronary heart disease mortality/morbidity and risk in blacks. I: Clinical manifestations and diagnostic criteria: the experience with the Beta Blocker Heart Attack Trial. Am Heart J. 1984 Sep;108(3 Pt 2):787–793. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(84)90672-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Higgins M., Thom T. Trends in stroke risk factors in the United States. Ann Epidemiol. 1993 Sep;3(5):550–554. doi: 10.1016/1047-2797(93)90115-k. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Howard G., Anderson R., Sorlie P., Andrews V., Backlund E., Burke G. L. Ethnic differences in stroke mortality between non-Hispanic whites, Hispanic whites, and blacks. The National Longitudinal Mortality Study. Stroke. 1994 Nov;25(11):2120–2125. doi: 10.1161/01.str.25.11.2120. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Howard G., Russell G. B., Anderson R., Evans G. W., Morgan T., Howard V. J., Burke G. L. Role of social class in excess black stroke mortality. Stroke. 1995 Oct;26(10):1759–1763. doi: 10.1161/01.str.26.10.1759. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Ingram D. D., Gillum R. F. Regional and urbanization differentials in coronary heart disease mortality in the United States, 1968-85. J Clin Epidemiol. 1989;42(9):857–868. doi: 10.1016/0895-4356(89)90099-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Jones J., Dais K. A. Risk factors for coronary heart disease in a black population. J Natl Med Assoc. 1992 May;84(5):393–398. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Keil J. E., Saunders D. E., Jr, Lackland D. T., Weinrich M. C., Hudson M. B., Gastright J. A., Baroody N. B., O'Bryan E. C., Jr, Zmyslinski R. W. Acute myocardial infarction: period prevalence, case fatality, and comparison of black and white cases in urban and rural areas of South Carolina. Am Heart J. 1985 Apr;109(4):776–784. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(85)90638-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Keys A. Coronary heart disease--the global picture. Atherosclerosis. 1975 Sep-Oct;22(2):149–192. doi: 10.1016/0021-9150(75)90001-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Lanska D. J. Geographic distribution of stroke mortality in the United States: 1939-1941 to 1979-1981. Neurology. 1993 Sep;43(9):1839–1851. doi: 10.1212/wnl.43.9.1839. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Lanska D. J., Kryscio R. Geographic distribution of hospitalization rates, case fatality, and mortality from stroke in the United States. Neurology. 1994 Aug;44(8):1541–1550. doi: 10.1212/wnl.44.8.1541. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Lanska D. J., Peterson P. M. Effects of interstate migration on the geographic distribution of stroke mortality in the United States. Stroke. 1995 Apr;26(4):554–561. doi: 10.1161/01.str.26.4.554. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. McGovern P. G., Shahar E., Sprafka J. M., Pankow J. S. The role of stroke attack rate and case fatality in the decline of stroke mortality. The Minnesota Heart Survey. Ann Epidemiol. 1993 Sep;3(5):483–487. doi: 10.1016/1047-2797(93)90101-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Otten M. W., Jr, Teutsch S. M., Williamson D. F., Marks J. S. The effect of known risk factors on the excess mortality of black adults in the United States. JAMA. 1990 Feb 9;263(6):845–850. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Peniston R. L., Randall O. S. Coronary artery disease in black Americans 1920-1960: the shaping of medical opinion. J Natl Med Assoc. 1989 May;81(5):591-5, 598-600. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Ravelli G. P., Stein Z. A., Susser M. W. Obesity in young men after famine exposure in utero and early infancy. N Engl J Med. 1976 Aug 12;295(7):349–353. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197608122950701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Sasaki S., Zhang X. H., Kesteloot H. Dietary sodium, potassium, saturated fat, alcohol, and stroke mortality. Stroke. 1995 May;26(5):783–789. doi: 10.1161/01.str.26.5.783. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Sempos C., Cooper R., Kovar M. G., McMillen M. Divergence of the recent trends in coronary mortality for the four major race-sex groups in the United States. Am J Public Health. 1988 Nov;78(11):1422–1427. doi: 10.2105/ajph.78.11.1422. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Shekelle R. B., Shryock A. M., Paul O., Lepper M., Stamler J., Liu S., Raynor W. J., Jr Diet, serum cholesterol, and death from coronary heart disease. The Western Electric study. N Engl J Med. 1981 Jan 8;304(2):65–70. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198101083040201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Stafleu A., Van Staveren W. A., de Graaf C., Burema J., Hautvast J. G. Family resemblance in energy, fat, and cholesterol intake: a study among three generations of women. Prev Med. 1994 Jul;23(4):474–480. doi: 10.1006/pmed.1994.1065. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Strachan D. P., Leon D. A., Dodgeon B. Mortality from cardiovascular disease among interregional migrants in England and Wales. BMJ. 1995 Feb 18;310(6977):423–427. doi: 10.1136/bmj.310.6977.423. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Susser M., Stein Z. Timing in prenatal nutrition: a reprise of the Dutch Famine Study. Nutr Rev. 1994 Mar;52(3):84–94. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.1994.tb01395.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Susser M. The logic in ecological: II. The logic of design. Am J Public Health. 1994 May;84(5):830–835. doi: 10.2105/ajph.84.5.830. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Thom T. J. Stroke mortality trends. An international perspective. Ann Epidemiol. 1993 Sep;3(5):509–518. doi: 10.1016/1047-2797(93)90107-f. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES