New York: In the last two and a half decades, consistent cultural inequalities have subsisted in diabetes death among American youths, with death rates for black youths considerably higher as compared to the white youths.

In the November 16th issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, health officials said, “Further study is needed to discern the specific reasons for increased diabetes mortality in black youths.”

Diabetes impacts 18 per 10,000 kids and teenagers younger than age 20, in the United States.

CDC researchers have studied deaths that took place from 1979 to 2004 with a fundamental cause of diabetes among US kids and teenagers aged between1 to 19 years.

“Although diabetes deaths among youths were rare during 1979-2004, numbering less than an average of 80 per year for the entire period, diabetes death rates for black youths were consistently higher than those for white youths,” they reported.

The researchers further reported “Additionally, whereas diabetes mortality did not change substantially for white youths during 1994-2004, death rates for black youths increased significantly.”

From 2003 to 2004, the annual average diabetes death rate per million youths stood at 2.46 for black youths against 0.91 for white youths.

“Better identification and management of the disease among youths, especially black youths, might help decrease racial disparities and prevent deaths from diabetes,” they added.