US life expectancy made little progress in the 2010s and is lower than in other wealthy countries. A new study examined death certificates for people born between the 1890s and the 1980s and analysed changes from 1979 through 2023.
The researchers looked at all causes of death and at major groups such as heart disease, cancer and external causes (for example, drug overdoses, suicides and accidents). They found that some birth cohorts now have higher mortality than earlier generations, and some young people are dying from diseases that were once rare in the young.
What will happen to overall US life expectancy is not yet clear, and the study points to questions for public health policy and future research.
Difficult words
- life expectancy — average number of years people live
- birth cohort — group of people born around same timebirth cohorts
- mortality — number of deaths in a group
- external cause — death from accidents, overdose or suicideexternal causes
- death certificate — official paper that lists how someone dieddeath certificates
- analyse — study data carefully to find meaninganalysed
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Discussion questions
- Why might some birth cohorts have higher mortality than earlier generations?
- What changes could public health policy try to help people live longer?
- Have you seen health problems in young people in your area? Describe briefly.
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