Between Crisis and Chronicity: Leading COD for Working-Age Americans by Race and Gender, 1999-2023

• In Event: 30860 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 5. Gender, Sexuality, and Aging

Abstract

The United States has experienced substantial shifts in mortality trends among young adults aged 15-49, shaped by structural inequalities and public health crises. While research has examined specific causes of death, few studies provide a comprehensive, longitudinal analysis of how racial and gender disparities persist across multiple mortality causes over time. Using CDC WONDER data (1999-2023), this study analyzes **seven major causes of death—fentanyl overdoses, firearm injuries, motor vehicle accidents, cancers, heart disease, other drug overdoses, and COVID-19—**across five-year age bands, allowing for a nuanced understanding of age-specific mortality trajectories within this broader life stage.

This research is grounded in descriptive epidemiology, which identifies patterns of disease and mortality to inform public health action. The study also draws on fundamental cause theory, which posits that social conditions—such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status—persistently shape health disparities despite shifts in proximate risk factors. By applying these frameworks, the study bridges sociology and public health research, contextualizing mortality disparities within broader structural inequalities.

Preliminary findings indicate widening racial and gender disparities in opioid-related deaths, firearm injuries, and chronic diseases, with distinct patterns emerging across age groups and historical periods. The impact of major public health crises, including the opioid epidemic and COVID-19, has exacerbated inequalities, particularly for marginalized populations.

By incorporating historical context and linking results to sociological theories of health disparities, this study provides an empirical foundation for policy interventions aimed at addressing mortality inequalities in young and middle adulthood. The five-year band approach offers a more precise understanding of age-specific risks, highlighting critical points for intervention across the life course.

Author

• Jennifer P Rogers, University of Miami