Summarised by Centrist
A recent study published in BMJ Open suggests that four key social factors—sex, race, marital status, and education—account for up to 18 years of difference in life expectancy among subjects.
Married, college-educated White women can expect to live 18 years longer than never-married White men with only a high school diploma.
“In a country as wealthy as the United States, such dramatic variation exists based on factors that… are not really biological,” notes Dr F. Perry Wilson, who reviewed the study.
The research shows stark disparities, with men, especially those unmarried and less educated, facing higher risks of death from heart disease, lung cancer, and unintentional injuries.
The study also raises questions about why such differences persist. Understanding these disparities may require exploring not just physiological but also sociological factors.
