HDF110 Quiz 3 Study Guide
How U.S. Life Expectancy Compares to Other Countries:
● 29th place; 77.9 years
● Tied w/ South Korea & Denmark
How Much U.S. Spends/person on Health Care
● More than double other industrialized countries
● Spent $6102/person on medical care in 2004
○ More than 2x $2552 of the 30 OECD countries-- YET U.S. health
outcomes are among the worst
U.S. Rank for Smoking Cigs
● Below 25
● U.S. has greatest inequality bt drugs/life expenctancy, fewest social protections,
& most poverty
Greatest Diff in Life Expectancy in U.S.
● 15 years
● Populations in wealthy communities on avg live into their 80’s
● Some inner-city neighborhoods/Native American reservations barely live to 60
Biggest Killers of Black Males in Many Poor, Segregated Urban Neighborhoods:
● Heart disease
● Stroke
● Chronic diseases that harm middle-aged men
Kids in Poverty are _____x More Likely to Have Poor Health Compared to High-Income
Houses:
● 7x
● Kids most vulnerable
● Susceptible to: housing, poor food, bad schools, unsafe streets, chronic stress
● Impacts are cumulative & lead to increased risk that influences health as adult
_____ MORE SUPERMARKETS IN WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS COMPARED TO
BLACK/LATINO:
● 4x
● Black/Latino have more fast food & liquor stores
● Lack stores with fresh, affordable food
WHICH GROUP HAS BEST HEALTH IN U.S.:
● Recent Latino immigrants
● Have better health outcomes despite being poorer on average
● Longer they live here, though, worse it gets for them
STRONGEST HEALTH PREDICTOR:
● Whether you have $ or not
● More $ you have, better your health
MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR BEHIND 30 YR INCREASE IN U.S. LIFE EXPECTANCY:
● Social reforms
● Researchers attribute life expectancy increase to social changes (better wages,
housing, job security, working conditions, civil rights laws, sanitation)
OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES HAVE LONGER LIFE EXPECTANCIES BC:
● More egalitarian; focus more on social conditions that make us sick in the first
place
● Social policies (living wage jobs, paid sick/fam leave, paid vacations, pre-
school, guaranteed health care) all mandated by law in these countries
TOP 1% U.S. FAMS OWN AS MUCH WEALTH AS BOTTOM ______:
● 90& combined
● Top 5% fam $ increased by 81%, bottom 40% fell by half
ANNUAL COST TO BUSINESSES IN U.S. BC OF ILLNESS:
● $1.1 Trillion
● Financial burden of chronic illness takes BIG toll on economic productivity in
form of extra sick days, reduced worker performance, etc.
HOW MANY PAID VACATION DAYS MANDATED BY U.S. LAW:
● None
● Only rich country that doesn’t guarantee paid vacation/paid sick days by law
GAP IN LIFE EXPECTANCY BETWEEN MOST AND LEAST DEPRIVED COUNTIES IN U.S:
● Widened by 60%
● as economic inequality grew after 1980, so did life expectancy gap bt rich and
the rest of U.S.
HEALTH EQUITY: “UNNATURAL CAUSES”
● What is the connection between health and wealth?
● How does the U.S. compare to other industrialized nations in terms of health
and life expectancy?
● According the documentary, what factors contribute to the differences in health
due to wealth?
● What impact does stress have on health?
● How does stress tend to vary by socioeconomic status?
● How does “control” of work environment appear to contribute to stress and
health according to research discussed in Unnatural Causes?
● According to Unnatural Causes _________________ policy= Health policy. What
are examples of these types of policies and how would the examples you come
up contribute to improved health?
● What role does exposure to violence play in health?
● What is the “poverty tax” as discussed in “Place Matters”?
● How does the neighborhood a person lives in impact his or her health?