Study finds Native American deaths undercounted in official records

A new study published in the medical journal JAMA finds that official U.S. death records underestimate mortality and life expectancy gaps for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. According to a summary by the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), the analysis revealed that death certificates for at least 41 percent of AI/AN individuals misclassified their race, most often as “white,” resulting in a statistical erasure of Indigenous mortality data.

The study showed that AI/AN life expectancy was 6.5 years lower than the national average — 2.9 times the gap reported in official vital statistics. AI/AN mortality rates were 42% higher than the national average, compared to only 5% higher in uncorrected official data. The research highlights the need for accurate data collection and greater investment in AI/AN health, according to study lead author Jacob Bor, an associate professor of global health and epidemiology at BUSPH.

See also: American Indians in North Dakota die 22.5 years younger than white residents.