This paper introduces a new method for identifying the relative contribution of multiple, overlapping social characteristics (such as sex, race, and education) to lifespan inequality. Unlike conventional approaches that examine each factor separately, our method decomposes overall inequality into the effects of individual factors and their interactions. Applying the method to U.S. life tables for adults aged 25+ in 2010, we find that interactions between sex, race, and education account for over 40% of between-group lifespan inequality, highlighting the importance of intersectionality. The approach can be applied beyond mortality research to study inequalities in other social domains.
Read the full study here https://doi.org/10.1186/s41118-026-00297-0