Sanders Finds Link Between Great Migration and Mortality in New Study

17 February 2015 9:42AM

Millions of African-Americans left the rural South during the 20th century in search of greater opportunities for work, education and overall quality of life in the urban North, Midwest and West.

But the gains many made were clouded by an increased mortality rate, likely the result of unhealthy habits picked up by vices common in the big city, finds a new study led by Duke University.

The study found that if an African-American man lived to age 65 the chances that he would make it to age 70 if he remained in the South were 82.5 percent; if he migrated to the North the chance of surviving to age 70 dropped to 75 percent — about a 40 percent increase in mortality.

For an African-American woman who lived to age 65, the chances that she would make it to age 70 if she remained in the South were 90 percent; if she migrated to the North, the chance of surviving to age 70 dropped to 85 percent — about a 50 percent increase in mortality.

"Something about living in the city, it's very stressful and as a result, people pick up bad habits they think will ease that stress, like smoking and drinking," said co-author Seth Sanders, an economist at Duke. Common causes of death identified for the migrants were connected to behavior choices such as cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and cirrhosis of the liver.

The authors believe the paper is the first attempt to establish a link between the Great Migration and mortality. 

Read the full article on Duke Today.

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