THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES AND THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE

By DANIEL RODRIGUEZ

U S HEALTH IN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE: SHORTER LIVES, POORER HEALTH PREPUBLICATION COPY—UNCORRECTED PROOFS CONTENTS SUMMARY INTRODUCTION PART I: DOCUMENTING THE U S HEALTH DISADVANTAGE SHORTER LIVES MORTALITY RATES, CROSS-NATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN LIFE EXPECTANCY, SURVIVAL TO AGE 50, YEARS OF LIFE LOST BEFORE AGE 50, CAUSES OF PREMATURE DEATH, INFLUENCE OF EARLY DEATHS ON LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH, CONCLUSIONS, POORER HEALTH THROUGHOUT LIFE HEALTH ACROSS THE LIFE COURSE, CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS, ADULTS, U S HEALTH IN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE: SHORTER LIVES, POORER HEALTH PREPUBLICATION COPY—UNCORRECTED PROOFS PART II: EXPLAINING THE U S HEALTH DISADVANTAGE FRAMING THE QUESTION THE DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, THE SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK, A LIFE-COURSE PERSPECTIVE, PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL CARE SYSTEMS, DEFINING SYSTEMS OF CARE, QUESTION 1: DO PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL CARE SYSTEMS AFFECT HEALTH OUTCOMES?, QUESTION 2: ARE U S HEALTH SYSTEMS WORSE THAN THOSE IN OTHER HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES?, QUESTION 3: DO U S HEALTH SYSTEMS EXPLAIN THE U S HEALTH DISADVANTAGE?, WHAT U S HEALTH SYSTEMS CANNOT EXPLAIN, INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIORS TOBACCO USE, DIET, PHYSICAL INACTIVITY, ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG USE, SEXUAL PRACTICES, INJURIOUS BEHAVIORS, SOCIAL FACTORS QUESTION 1: DO SOCIAL FACTORS MATTER TO HEALTH?, QUESTION 2: ARE ADVERSE SOCIAL FACTORS MORE PREVALENT IN THE UNITED STATES THAN IN OTHER HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES?, QUESTION 3: DO DIFFERENCES IN SOCIAL FACTORS EXPLAIN THE U S HEALTH DISADVANTAGE?, PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS QUESTION 1: DO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS MATTER TO HEALTH?, QUESTION 2: ARE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS WORSE IN THE UNITED STATES THAN IN OTHER HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES?, U S HEALTH IN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE: SHORTER LIVES, POORER HEALTH PREPUBLICATION COPY—UNCORRECTED PROOFS QUESTION 3: DO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS EXPLAIN THE U S HEALTH DISADVANTAGE?, POLICIES AND SOCIAL VALUES THE ROLE OF PUBLIC- AND PRIVATE-SECTOR POLICIES, THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS ON POLICIES AND PROGRAMS, SOCIETAL VALUES, POLICIES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, SPENDING PRIORITIES, PART III: FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE U S HEALTH DISADVANTAGE RESEARCH AGENDA BACKGROUND, DATA NEEDS, ANALYTIC METHODS DEVELOPMENT, NEW LINES OF INQUIRY, 10 NEXT STEPS PURSUE NATIONAL HEALTH OBJECTIVES, ALERT THE PUBLIC, EXPLORE INNOVATIVE POLICY OPTIONS, LOOKING AHEAD, REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY