In comparison, the United States had worse health indicators compared to England at all socioeconomic levels, and the differences were marked. For example, in the highest income bracket, the rates of heart disease were 12.0% vs. 7.8% respectively. In the lowest income bracket, this was 17.1% vs. 11.6%.
It is speculated by James Smith of the RAND Corporation (one of the co-authors of the study) that dietary and other lifestyle factors may be at play, with a greater proportion of Americans obese compared to the English. Of interest to me was the stark difference in the cost of health care, with the United States spending double that of England: $US 5274 per capita vs. $2164 respectively.
Source articles
JAMA: Banks, J., Marmot, M., Oldfield, Z., Smith, J. Disease and Disadvantage in the United States and in England. Vol. 295 No. 17, May 3, 2006
From: New Scientist
Americans 'sicker' than their English counterparts (excerpt)
- 17:15 02 May 2006
- NewScientist.com news service
- Roxanne Khamsi
...While wealthy Americans enjoy better health than their poorer fellow citizens, this high status fails to confer health benefits to match even the lowliest of their trans-Atlantic cousins. The health of the richest people in the US is as poor as the worst educated, lowest paid among the English.
“Americans are much sicker than the English,” claim the researchers, who are based on both sides of the Atlantic. They came to this conclusion after studying self-reported information about diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other illnesses from about 8000 adults aged 55 to 64 years, half in each country. The information came from government-sponsored surveys...
...In England, 7.8% of people in the highest income bracket had heart disease, whereas 12.0% of the same group in the US had heart disease, according to the survey data. The lowest income groups in England and the US had heart disease rates of 11.6% and 17.1%, respectively.
The analysis also suggests that while about 6.1% of adults in England suffer from diabetes, the illness affects 12.5% of US adults...
...England was chosen because its population was expected to share many characteristics with that of the US...
...Smith [co-author] says the fact that all people in England have access to government-sponsored health cover does not explain the differences seen between the populations...
...He speculates that dietary differences – and in particular greater consumption of fast-food – could perhaps explain why 31% of Americans in that age group are obese, compared to just 23% of their English counterparts. Possibly more stressful and sedentary lifestyles might also make Americans less healthy, Smith speculates...
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