New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI): A recent study has revealed that death rates among young adults in the United States continue to exceed expectations even after the COVID-19 pandemic, raising concerns about long-term health and societal impacts. Researchers are urging further investigation into the lingering consequences of the global health crisis.
Published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, the study examined over 3.3 million deaths among early adults (aged 25-44) in the US from 1999 to 2023. The findings indicate a sharp increase in mortality rates during the pandemic, which have remained elevated in the years that followed.
Lead author Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota, expressed concern over the wide range of causes behind these excess deaths.
"What we didn't expect is how many different causes of death have really grown for these early adults. It's drug and alcohol deaths, but it's also car collisions, circulatory and metabolic diseases—causes that are very different from each other. That tells us this isn't one simple problem to fix, but something broader," she said.
The study attributes the sustained increase in death rates to multiple factors, including:
"Our findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive policies to address the structural factors driving worsening health among recent generations of young adults," he stated.
The study suggests solutions such as:
✔ Expanding access to nutritious foods.
✔ Strengthening social services.
✔ Increasing regulation of industries affecting public health.
Researchers also noted that the persistent rise in mortality rates highlights both the long-term health effects of COVID-19—such as complications from infections, disruptions in medical care, and social dislocation—as well as worsening health trends that predate the pandemic.
The study's findings serve as a warning signal for policymakers, stressing the importance of addressing systemic health risks that could grow more severe as these young adult populations age.
Published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, the study examined over 3.3 million deaths among early adults (aged 25-44) in the US from 1999 to 2023. The findings indicate a sharp increase in mortality rates during the pandemic, which have remained elevated in the years that followed.
Rising Mortality Rates Beyond the Pandemic
According to researchers from the University of Minnesota, the surge in death rates during the pandemic exacerbated an already worsening trend that began around 2010. The study highlights that in 2023, death rates among young adults were 70% higher than they would have been if the pre-2010 mortality trends had continued uninterrupted.Lead author Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota, expressed concern over the wide range of causes behind these excess deaths.
"What we didn't expect is how many different causes of death have really grown for these early adults. It's drug and alcohol deaths, but it's also car collisions, circulatory and metabolic diseases—causes that are very different from each other. That tells us this isn't one simple problem to fix, but something broader," she said.
Key Findings: Persistent Excess Mortality
The research found a significant spike in mortality during the “core pandemic years” of 2019-2021. Even as COVID-19 deaths declined, overall mortality rates in 2023 remained nearly 20% higher than in 2019.The study attributes the sustained increase in death rates to multiple factors, including:
- Drug-related deaths, which were identified as the largest contributor to excess mortality.
- Natural causes such as cardiometabolic and nutrition-related diseases.
- External factors, including traffic-related fatalities.
Call for Comprehensive Health Policies
Co-author Andrew Stokes, an associate professor of global health at Boston University School of Public Health, emphasized the urgent need for policy interventions."Our findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive policies to address the structural factors driving worsening health among recent generations of young adults," he stated.
The study suggests solutions such as:
✔ Expanding access to nutritious foods.
✔ Strengthening social services.
✔ Increasing regulation of industries affecting public health.
Researchers also noted that the persistent rise in mortality rates highlights both the long-term health effects of COVID-19—such as complications from infections, disruptions in medical care, and social dislocation—as well as worsening health trends that predate the pandemic.
The study's findings serve as a warning signal for policymakers, stressing the importance of addressing systemic health risks that could grow more severe as these young adult populations age.
