Geographic and Demographic Differences in Studies of the Five Leading Causes of Death in the U.S.: Evidence from Peer-Reviewed Literature
This policy brief presents a comprehensive scoping review of peer-reviewed literature examining geographic and demographic differences in studies of the five leading causes of death in the United States: heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and stroke. The analysis focuses on the extent to which research has incorporated race/ethnicity and rurality as key independent variables. The review documents a considerable increase in publications addressing these factors over time, with 80% of relevant articles published between 2011 and 2021. Despite the growing body of literature, the intersectionality of rurality and race/ethnicity remains understudied, particularly outside of cancer research. Only 49.3% of cancer studies and an even lower proportion for other causes considered both rurality and race/ethnicity as major independent variables.
Key Findings:
- Rurality was associated with higher morbidity or mortality in 21.9% of studies.
- Race/ethnicity, especially among Black (47.3%) and Hispanic (24.6%) populations, was consistently correlated with increased morbidity and mortality.