Death and Dying Part IV Demographics of Longer Lives
Overview of global longevity gains from the Middle Ages to the modern era, highlighting uneven benefits across whites and nonwhites, women and men, and urban versus suburban populations. Discusses rising life expectancy, aging populations, and the fiscal implications for social security and healthcare as the elderly share grows. Notes mortality declined from 1900 to 1977 and shifts in leading causes of death from infectious to chronic degenerative diseases. Death now often occurs in hospitals or care facilities.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
United States
Greece
England
Socrates
The Death Gap in U S Mortality by Social Groups
Monroe Lerner surveys how death rates vary by sex race and class in the United States. Women outlive men by about 7.75 years, whites outlive nonwhites by 5.2 years, and urban poor face the highest mortality linked to living conditions and access to care. The piece notes gains from medical progress and healthier lifestyles, then previews Dr Eric J Cassell of Cornell University Medical School discussing a major philosophical shift in medicine.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Monroe Lerner
Department of Health Services Administration
School of Hygiene and Public Health
Johns Hopkins University
Department of Behavioral Sciences
Department of the History of Ideas
United States
Maryland
Baltimore
Eric J. Cassell
Cornell University Medical School
Life expectancy and mortality factors in the United States
Answers note current life expectancy near 73 years with rapid gains from sulfa drugs and penicillin between 1937 and 1945. Longevity depends on race, sex, and income. Lowest mortality occurs between ages 5 and 14. Major death causes are degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke. (c) 1078-79 Regents of the University of California.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
United States
Regents of
The
University of California
Also Mentioned on This Page
Cveovansemne
Lorain
Elyria
Midway Mall
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!