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1/ November 2019, Arjumand Siddiqi, Division Head of Epidemiology at UofT School of Public Health published a research article examining the troubling rise in mortality rates in whites in the USA over the last 20-30 years. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337424310_Growing_sense_of_social_status_threat_and_concomitant_deaths_of_despair_among_whites
2/ This was an important issue for @AndrewYang in his 2020 bid for the US Democratic Party Candidate for President nomination: https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/apr/03/andrew-yang/overdoses-suicide-driving-drop-us-life-expectancy-/
3/ Here are some of the troubling statistics on white mortality by age and by educational status published in Siddiqi’s academic research article, trends she characterizes as “startling” (see Newsweek link in a later tweet).
4/ Siddiqi acknowledges the 2 leading hypotheses for the phenomenon; either (i) current economic conditions or (ii) long-term (post-1970s) economic transformations “have led to declining economic and social prospects of low-educated whites, culminating in ‘deaths of despair.’”
5/ In her research article, Siddiqi advances a third hypothesis. That: “mortality increases are attributable to (false) perceptions of whites that they are losing social status.”
6/ She is quoted in this Newsweek piece as saying, “this could be the first time that a widespread population health phenomenon cannot be explained by social or economic status disadvantage, and instead has been driven by "a perceived threat to status." https://www.newsweek.com/rising-death-rates-among-white-americans-caused-misperceived-threat-their-dominant-social-status-1474038?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=NewsweekTwitter
7/ Further in the Newsweek piece:
“Status is a major predictor of health so our team hypothesized that it was a perception among whites that Blacks are economically catching up to them…
“Status is a major predictor of health so our team hypothesized that it was a perception among whites that Blacks are economically catching up to them…
8/
…when, in fact, income inequality and other socioeconomic factors continue to affect Black Americans more unfavorably," said Siddiqi.”
…when, in fact, income inequality and other socioeconomic factors continue to affect Black Americans more unfavorably," said Siddiqi.”
9/ Siddiqi’s article conclusion: “Rising white mortality in the US is not explained by traditional social/economic population health indicators, but instead by a perceived decline in relative group status on the part of whites–despite no actual loss in relative group position”.
10/ In speaking to Newsweek, she further concluded:
"Status is a major predictor of health so our team hypothesized that it was a perception among whites that Blacks are economically catching up to them…
"Status is a major predictor of health so our team hypothesized that it was a perception among whites that Blacks are economically catching up to them…
11/
…when, in fact, income inequality and other socioeconomic factors continue to affect Black Americans more unfavorably".
…when, in fact, income inequality and other socioeconomic factors continue to affect Black Americans more unfavorably".
12/ In addition to Division Head of Epidemiology at the UofT School of Public Health, Arjumand Siddiqi is a key member of The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table.
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