Study finds substantial state differences in U.S. men’s health across racial and ethnic groups

Men’s health outcomes varied substantially across U.S. states and racial or ethnic groups in an observational study summarized in the abstract of a BMC Public Health article. Asian men generally reported the highest self-rated health and the lowest mortality, while American Indian or Alaska Native men had some of the lowest life expectancy estimates, falling below 63 years in some states. Black men also had poor outcomes, particularly in the Midwest and South.

Researchers assessed state-level variation using pooled data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for 2019–2024, CDC WONDER mortality data for 2019–2024, and 2019 estimates from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The analysis covered men in six racial or ethnic groups and examined self-rated health, mortality, and life expectancy. It used descriptive analyses and hierarchical models with race-specific geographic variance components.

The models estimated the relative contributions of national racial or ethnic disparities and variation among states within each group. Geographic differences accounted for a larger share of within-group variation in life expectancy among American Indian or Alaska Native and Black men than among White, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander men. Although White men had relatively favorable national averages, the abstract reports that they rarely ranked highest within individual states.

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander men showed greater variability and higher mortality when analyzed separately from Asian men. The study’s results indicate that national averages can conceal geographic variation in inequalities in men’s health. The available abstract does not report measures of uncertainty or provide details sufficient for a full assessment of model sensitivity, data quality, or subgroup sample sizes. As an observational, descriptive analysis, the research identifies patterns and model-estimated variation but does not establish that race, ethnicity, or state of residence caused the reported differences. The article was published online on 15 October 2026 in an early-access version subject to further edits.

Subject of Research: State-level variation in men’s health by race and ethnicity in the United States

Article Title: The geography of men’s health in the United States, by state and race/ethnicity

Article References: Tan, J., Sakrejda, K., Taddess, B., Zelner, J., & Mojola, S. A. (2026). The geography of men’s health in the United States, by state and race/ethnicity. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-29857-x

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12889-026-29857-x

Keywords: men’s health, health disparities, racial and ethnic differences, U.S. states, life expectancy, mortality, self-rated health, geographic variation, public health, geography, health, United