Mortality among US adult Asians and Pacific Islanders: findings from the National Health Interview Surveys and the National Longitudinal Mortality Study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the mortality of the adult Asian and Pacific Islander population in the United States.
METHODS: Cohort study using data from the National Health Interview Survey (1986 to 1994) and the National Longitudinal Mortality Study. Deaths were ascertained by matching the National Death Index with average follow-ups of 5.3 and 9 years, respectively, for the two studies.
RESULTS: Respondents from the pooled National Health Interview Surveys included 532,794 non-Hispanic whites, 94,242 blacks, 52,725 Hispanics, and 16,936 Asians and Pacific Islanders, all of whom were at least 18 years of age at baseline. The National Longitudinal Mortality Study included 373,397 non-Hispanic whites, 41,262 blacks, 23,356 Hispanics, and 8,390 Asians and Pacific Islanders. Overall age-standardized mortality was the lowest in Asians/Pacific Islanders, whose risk of death was about 40% lower than whites'. Adjustment for differences in education levels had a minimal influence on the mortality advantage in Asians/Pacific Islanders.
CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal cohorts provide an important source of health status information on Asians and Pacific Islanders. These two studies from representative national samples suggest that overall mortality is substantially lower among Asians and Pacific Islanders than in all other major ethnic groups.