Essay on Low Healthy Life Expectancy

Health has been influenced by many factors such as poor health status, disease risk factors, and limited access to healthcare. All these factors are due to social, economic and environmental disadvantages. According to the World Organization (WHO) (2015), “the social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities, which is the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries”

The primary reason for the vast increase in life expectancy in developed countries in the 20th century is universal clean drinking water and very high level of public and personal hygiene. These two improvements account for probably 80%of the life expectancy. Overall life

Life expectancy, or the estimated years of life for a person or group of people, has increased over the years but it is still surprisingly lower than expected in places such as the United States. America ranks twenty-fourth on the life expectancy list under Japan, Australia, France Spain and Italy. What causes this disparity in the ranking and statistics in an advanced industrialized society such as the United States? There are major statistical factors that influence the United States ranking in world life expectancy, involving education level, poverty, race and gender. The diverse groups of people living in the United States affect the health statistics negatively, bringing in influences from education and income levels, race and

As a high-income society, the United States when comparing the health care statistics to others world-wide is one of the most blessed nations in the world, but many people who struggle to pay for their health care find that our health care system has many weaknesses that effect the overall quality of care and their personal well-being. Health is defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being” (Macionis 236). There are many degrees of both physical and mental health and most people fall short of complete health and find themselves in need of medical care. One indicator that is used to measure a society’s overall health is the infant mortality rate, which is “the number of babies who die before their first birthday out of every thousand babies born” (Macionis 236). As expected, America’s infant mortality rates are low especially when coming comparing the rates to countries that are known to have economic hardships. Another means to measure the overall health well-being of a society is by determining the life expectancy at birth or the number of years that a person is expected to live in a given society. High-income nation’s life-expectancy rates are higher and most people can live long lives without serious health conditions until later in life. Low-income nations unfortunately can have much lower life expectancies. The economy and livelihood of a

Countries are often categorized into three distinct categories based on their economic levels. The first is developed countries, which have high gross national income and diverse economies. The second is developing countries which have simpler economies and lower income. And finally least developed countries which are the lowest level. Life expectancy is the average number of years a person is expected to live. The higher the gross national income level, the higher the life expectancy is. Mortality rates refer to number of

The United States is one of the countries profoundly affected by health disparities and inequities. One may argue this is attributable to its diverse ethnic and racial groups and wide geographical area coverage, but still, it is extremely undesirable to record that extent of health disparities and inequities. The 78.8 years life expectancy is just the average. Some states have a life expectancy of high as 86 years whereas as low as 68 years. The standard deviation of life expectancy across the states is very huge. For instance, the life expectancy in Summit County, Colorado is 86.6 years whereas in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, the life expectancy is 66.8 years (Welch, 2017). A margin of about 20 years is troubling, especially for a developed country like the United States. These disparities also apply for other health indices from region to region and ethnic group to another. Hence, this agenda is on the right

This assignment will discuss different factors that determine health. According to World Health Organisation, “Health has been defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 2017). There are many social determinants factors that can influence health such as socio-economic factors, income, genders, education and cultures. These factors determine health and wellbeing. For example, some people are healthier than other people.

It is evident that life expectancy rate - a major indicator of population health- varies amongst different tiers of socio-economic status. This is because, According to statistic Canada, Canadian women in the lowest income group experience life expectancy that is 3.2 years less than those in the highest income group whereas, Canadian men in the lowest income group, experience a life expectancy rate that is 4.7 years less than those in the highest income group(Mcmullin, J., Davis, L, 2010, Pg. 188). This goes to show that those with higher Socio-economic class get live longer compared to those with lower socio-economic class. Another social determinant of health outcomes amongst different groups of people is education. In Canada, a percentage

A report published by the Orgainsation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) identifies lifespan as key societal wellness barometer. [1] The group is a forum created to improve financial, physical and mental wellbeing for all global citizens. [2] Through the organization, governments collaborate to improve the human condition. Using data gathered from various global sources, the group members make recommendations designed to improve humanity’s welfare. The research scope varies from high-level census data to detailed worldwide tax rates. Among these data, the organization recognizes remarkable improvements in human life expectancy over the last half century, which is now 80-years long. [1]

“The main determinants of health include the social and economic environment, the physical environment, and the person's individual characteristics and behaviors” (World Health Organization). As per the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion it is the interrelationships among these factors that determine individual and population health. Determinants of health reach beyond the boundaries of traditional health care and public health sectors; sectors such as education, housing, transportation, agriculture, and environment can be important in improving population health.

Secondly the figures contained in this report have been obtained and analysed from the year 2009 to 2011. It has also been updated and revised several times including a revision of life (healthy) expectancy in November 2013. Regular updating and adjustments of data increases the accuracy and relevance of the outcomes, furthermore findings gain more validity and recognition.

The life expectancy of people in the United States have progressively increased since the 1930s. In the year 1930, the life expectancy of American men and women was 59 years old but in 2014, that number has increased to about 79 years old ("Life Expectancy at Birth by Race and Sex, 1930–2010"). People in the United States now live up to 20 years longer and because of the longer lifespan, more people are now developing chronic diseases that they were not before. Looking at data on people who are diagnosed with diabetes, a correlation can be seen in which as a person’s life expectancy increases, so does the number of people who have been diagnosed with diabetes. In the 1960s, the number of people in the United States who were

Life expectancy at birth recorded at 83.2 and mortality rates are high among the aged due to cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2014). Other risks to health include tobacco smoking and alcoholism. Obesity appears among the aged at 3.6% (OECD, 2014).

Some factors such as education, income, and employment are just a few examples that were the causes that affect a person’s health. For instance, with education it showed those that were in the high class were more likely to have better health and better paying jobs than low class, whereas with income those in low class struggle with being able to provide for their families, and lastly, with employment depending on where the individual worked determined their health. For example,

Socioeconomic issue is also an important affecting factor, generally people with higher education and higher income tends to be less prone to stress. Due to their individual live is at a greater life quality. Quality of life can be defined as “individuals’ perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns.” (WHOQOL, 1995). Socioeconomic status tends to be inversely related to participation in leisure-time physical activity, which may be related to people with low incomes having less discretionary time and less access to exercise facilities and green spaces (McNeill et al., 2006) In developed countries, people tend to have a sedentary lifestyle which can leads to higher levels of obesity, therefore lower overall well-being. A study shown “The percentage of all deaths in England with obesity on the certificate doubled from 0.11% in 1995 to 0.23% in 2006.” (NHS choices, 2010) The researchers concluded: “There is an emerging trend of increased certification of obesity as a cause of death in England.” (NHS choices, 2010) Levels of obesity are increasing dramatically and, if current trends continue, around 90% of men and 80% of women will be overweight or obese by 2050. (Black, DC, 2008).