Prepare a short (1000 words or less) paper that analyzes the factors contributing to the relative U.S. disadvantage in a population health statistic of your choice. Some possible statistics are listed below. You are not limited to these measures, but be sure to choose a standardized measure (rates or probabilities, rather than numbers), that is unrelated to any specific illness or injury.
Identify and define the health statistic, and provide comparison data for the U.S. and 2-3 other developed countries (e.g. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, countries in western Europe).
Explore possible sources of the U.S. disadvantage in health outcomes that are unrelated to the relative quality of health systems.
Discuss the implications for public policies designed to improve health outcomes in the U.S.
• Every new fact or idea must be tied to a reference. You may use footnotes or endnotes and whatever reference style you choose, but be consistent.
