US State Policies, Politics, and Life Expectancy.

ABSTRACT: Policy Points Changes in US state policies since the 1970s, particularly after 2010, have played an important role in the stagnation and recent decline in US life expectancy. Some US state policies appear to be key levers for improving life expectancy, such as policies on tobacco, labor, immigration, civil rights, and the environment. US life expectancy is estimated to be 2.8 years longer among women and 2.1 years longer among men if all US states enjoyed the health advantages of states with more liberal policies, which would put US life expectancy on par with other high-income countries.

Context

Life expectancy in the United States has increased little in previous decades, declined in recent years, and become more unequal across US states. Those trends were accompanied by substanti

SUBMITTER: Montez JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7482386 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature