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Sad Fact: Half of Young Blacks Don't Think They'll Be Alive Past Their 30s

A report shows Black youth are less optimistic about their future than other races.

It is no shock that Black youth don't have an optimistic view on their futures. A recent report released by the American Sociological Association and the Journal of Health and Social Behavior confirmed that half of young African-Americans don't see themselves living past their mid-30s. With a long list of adversities, Black youth ages 12-25 surveyed in the study, don't feel their lives are secure.
Black youth are more likely to have "poor or fair health, asthma, disabilities, emergency room visits and other conditions, such as skin allergies and vision problems," the report states. "Further, they are also more likely to experience or anticipate poorer health care access, injuries, morbidity and mortality, all of which may contribute to lower survival expectations."
There were a total of 17,000 participants interviewed in the report. Similarly, 46 percent of second-generation born Mexicans believed that they would live past the age of 35, while only 38 percent of foreign-born Mexicans could say the same. 
There is a significant disparity between youth of color and white youth's outlook on life expectancy. A total of 66 percent of white youth believed they would live past the age of 35. 
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(Photo: Hero Images/Corbis)

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