Conference Application: Data-Driven Decision Making

Name:

Title of Presentation: Education & Life Expectancy

Title of Article (include publication and publishing date): Education May Be Key for a Longer Life. New York Times. February 20, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/well/live/education-may-be-key-for-a-longer-life.html?searchResultPosition=41

Part A:

· Provide a summary of the article you have chosen by identifying the purpose and what real-world problem it is addressing/trying to solve. (Bulleted format is acceptable).

· The purpose of this study was to examine causes of premature death and whether race/ethnicity or education level were associated with premature mortality.

· Researchers (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study (CARDIA)) followed 5,114 study participants (approximately equal white and black Americans) from 1985 through 2015. The average age of the participants was 25. During these 30 years, 395 participants died.

· The death rate of black participants was 70% higher than the death rate among white participants.

· When researchers controlled for factors that affect length of life, such as age, sex, and socioeconomic status, the life expectancy of black participants was almost equal to the life expectancy of white participants who had similar levels of education.

· In both black participants and white participants, the rate of those who died during the course of the study was higher in those with less education. 13.5% of white participants with a high school education or less died during the course of the study, as compared with 13.2% of black participants. 4.3% of white participants with a college degree died during the course of the study, as compared with 5.9% of black participants.

· Explain what category(s) of descriptive statistics is used in the study and how it is used to communicate the information found in the study and/or any conclusions/solutions posed (1-2 paragraphs).

· This study uses measures of frequency, including percent, frequency, and frequency distribution. These statistics are used to show that there is a disparity in life expectancy between black Americans and white Americans. However, differences in education levels contribute to the vast majority in this disparity. The study concludes that those with a higher level of education have a higher life expectancy.

· The conclusions from this study may be useful in addressing disparities in life expectancy. Because correlation does not equal causation, we cannot assume that improving educational opportunities for black Americans will increase their average life expectancy. However, it’s worth noting that racial disparities in life expectancy are drastically decreased when other variables are controlled, while educational disparities in life expectancy stay constant. Further study should be pursued to determine whether racial disparities in life expectancy may be reduced by promoting educational equity.

· Explain how the article applies to the real world, your major, your current job, or your future career goal (1-2 paragraphs).

· This article provides useful information to me as I pursue a degree in education policy. The data highlights the importance of promoting higher education, and furthermore, making college equally-accessible for all students. In my career, I may be able to study the specific obstacles to pursuing higher education among various populations and determine policies that can be created to address these obstacles.

· What solutions do you recommend based on analysis of data and conclusions drawn?

· Based on the analysis from this article, systems and policies should be developed to promote higher education and improve accessibility of continuing education, especially to people of color. Additionally, further studies should be completed to determine if improving educational equity improves life expectancy among black Americans.

· Looking at populations outside of white/black Americans, and looking at combinations of factors (age, gender, socioeconomic status) would also be beneficial in making comparisons and seeing patterns among different groups.

Part B:

An additional part of the application process requires you to create a presentation based on the information provided above. To do so, choose an audience (outside of the field of mathematics) that could benefit from the information you will present:

1. Create one visualization of the data appropriate for the conference audience. (1 slide). In the notes section of this slide, provide a brief description of what the visual is showing. NOTE: If the article already contains a visual, you must create a different type of graph or chart.

2. Explain how the audience can benefit from the data. (1 slide)

3. Recommend your identified solutions using language appropriate for the audience.

In the notes section of your final slide, answer the following questions in 1-2 paragraphs:

1. Explain why you chose the audience you identified above.

2. Describe how the language, purpose, and visuals used in the presentation are appropriate for the audience.