*14 LIFE EXPECTANCY: RISES TO HISTORIC HIGH
According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, ...
Life expectancy in 1997 was 76.5 years, up from 76.1 years in
1996, and infant mortality was 7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births,
down from 7.3 in 1996. The teenage birthrate fell 3% last year
to 52.9 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19 from 54.4 births in
1996. The use of prenatal care in the first trimester was also
up to 82.5% of all pregnant women from 81.9% in 1996. Dr.
Bernard Guyer of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public
Health, who analyzed the CDC data, said, "This report is about
making slow but steady progress in many important areas." Death
rates were down for homicide, suicide, heart and liver disease,
diabetes and AIDS ("MSNBC.com", 12/8).
STILL WORK TO DO
The AP/Albany Times Union reports that the "most dramatic
improvement was among black males, whose life expectancy
increased by 1.2 years to 67.3 years." Life expectancy for black
females increased by half a year to 74.7, and for white females
by one-tenth of a year to 79.3. White males saw a four-tenths of
a year improvement to 74.3 years.
Robin Hanson
hanson@econ.berkeley.edu http://hanson.berkeley.edu/ RWJF Health Policy Scholar FAX: 510-643-8614 140 Warren Hall, UC Berkeley, CA 94720-7360 510-643-1884