CU Study: United States Leads Developed Nations In Youth Mortality

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) -- A new report co-authored by a University of Colorado professor enumerates the likelihood an American youth will die before reaching the age of 25.

The numbers are not encouraging, at least when the United States is compared to other peer countries.

Among the findings:

• U.S. youth ages 15 to 24 are twice as likely to die than youth in Germany or France
• the U.S.'s infant mortality rate is three times higher than other developed nations
• 40% of deaths among U.S. youth ages 15 to 19 are suicide or homicide
• 34% of deaths among ages 15 to 19 are due to unintentional injuries––including poisonings, traffic-related deaths and drownings
• The U.S. ranks second-worst for child poverty among 35 advanced nations
• 7,580 U.S. youth died of gun violence in 2019
• Black children and young adults are 60% more likely to die before age 25 than whites
• Mexican American youth are 30% more likely to die before age 25 than whites

CU Boulder Sociology professor Richard Rogers reported the data in "Dying Young in the United States." The study was published Jan. 19 by the nonprofit Population Reference Bureau.

Rogers collaborated with researchers at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Nevada and Duke University.

The study began in 2015. It followed 377,000 young people in the U.S. until their 25th birthday or their death, and then examined international trends.

"This is a bleak report, and it's tough to read," Rogers stated in a press release. "But it is also a call to action. There had been a lot of research done on mortality in mid-life, but children and young adults had been largely overlooked."

Southern states such as Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee have the highest youth death rates, according to the research. U.S. youth living in poverty or with parents who do not have a college degree are at significantly higher risk of dying young, while those raised in married, two-parent households - which often benefit from dual incomes and more supervision - are the least likely to die young.

"In other developed countries, especially European countries, there is less income inequality and there are more safety nets, including social and educational support for parents and better healthcare for families," Rogers explained.

The data was collected before the emergence of COVID-19.