| HEALTH STATUS |
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The past 50 years have seen an increase in life expectancy for both males and females. Between 1950 and 2000, life expectancy increased on average by eight years for males and females. The most significant increase in life expectancy was among Black females, whose average life expectancy increased 12.3 years over this time period.
Across racial groups, women live longer than men. National Vital Statistics data show that, in 2000, White females on average lived five years longer than Black females. These trends have been consistent over time.
In addition to life expectancy, years of potential life lost is another important measure of a population's health. This measure takes into account the years of life lost by persons who died before reaching a full life expectancy of 75 years. Significant differences in years of potential life lost exist among women of different races and ethnicities. In 1998, Black women had more than 10,000 years of potential life lost due to all causes, double the number of White females and more than three times the number of Asian or Pacific Islander females. American Indian and Alaska Native women had the second highest years of potential life lost at more than 7,200 years lost in 1998. These disparities reflect the younger ages at which these women died.
