Trends in Racial and Ethnic-Specific Rates for the Health Status Indicators: United States, 1990-98

National trends in racial & ethnic-specific rates for 17 health status indicators are reported for the period 1990-1998. The index of disparity increased by more than 10 percent for work-related injury death rates, motor vehicle crash rates, & suicide death rates. During the first half of the decade, there were increases in age-adjusted suicide rates for all groups except white non-Hispanics. Despite the fact there was a special population target for American Indian/Alaska Native males, their age-adjusted death rate increased by 8 percent while the rate for the total population decreased by 10 percent. (16 refs.)