The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Crisis and the Life Expectancy Gap for Native Americans, 2010-2019

Background: We assessed the role of missing and murdered indigenous relatives (MMIR) relevant causes of death in the life expectancy gap between the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) and non-Hispanic White populations. Methods: Using 2010-2019 National Center for Health Statistics Detailed Mortality files, we created multidecrement life tables and used the age-incidence decomposition method to identify (1) the causes of death that contribute to the gap in life expectancy between White and AIAN, and (2) the mechanisms through which these causes operate. Results: Causes of death relevant to MMIR constituted 4.0% of all AIAN deaths, but accounted for almost one-tenth (9.6%; 0.74 of 8.21 years) of the overall AIAN-White life expectancy gap. MMIR-relevant causes accounted for 6.6% of the AIAN-White life expectancy gap for women and 11.9% of the for men. Conclusions: This study suggests a critical agenda for research on racial inequities in mortality, with a focus on MMIR.