Gender and racial specific survivorship of Native American and Caucasian populations in Emmet and Cheboygan counties, Michigan, from 1850-1999.

Abstract

Understanding the behavior of co-occurring populations is important for monitoring diverse communities. We can trace the effects of environmental changes by investigating the survivorship of different populations through time. Survivorship of the general United States population has been increasing since the 1800s, but previous studies have found populations differing in race or gender to have different survivorship rates. This study investigated the survivorship rates of males and females in Native American and Caucasian populations from 1850-1999 in Emmet and Cheboygan counties, Michigan. The time span studied was divided into three intervals, 1850-1899, 1900-1949, and 1950-1999. Dates of birth and death were collected and organized into four categories according to gender and ethnicity (Caucasian females, Caucasian males, Native American females and Native American males). Survivorship curves were plotted for each time interval within each category, and the mean ages of death calculated. Trends indicated increased survivorship for all race and gender categories through time, with average life spans significantly higher from one time period to the next (all p < 0.05). Female Caucasians lived significantly longer than female Native Americans in all time periods (all p<0.05), but this trend was found in males only during 1900-1949. Caucasians during 1950-1999 showed female survivorship to be significantly higher than that of males (p<0.001). Further understanding of the way populations grow and behave through time can help identify groups that have less than optimal life spans. Addressing these trends can aid us in closing the gaps in health and life quality in diverse populations.