Infant Mortality Rate
Infant mortality rate is a key indicator of health. It is one of the key indicators that determine the overall health status of a given nation, region or community. In public health, infant mortality rate represents the number of deaths of children aged one year and below for every 1,000 births (Heisler, 2013).
Comparing the US infant mortality rates with Japan
Among the developed nations, the US has the highest infant mortality rate. On the other hand, Japan has the lowest infant mortality rate, despite being the second most industrialized nation after the US. In 2013, statistics indicated that the average infant death rate in the US stood at 6.7 deaths per 1,000 births, compared to Japan (2.6 deaths per 1,000 births) (Heisler, 2013).
Comparison with developing world: Chile, Austria and Poland
The US is ranked number 26 out of 119 nations in the world. One position below the US is Chile, a developing nation, with 7.1 deaths per 1,000 births. Statistics indicate that the infant mortality rates in Austria and Poland stood at 4.4 and 6.6 per 1,000 births respectively in 2013 (Heisler, 2013). This means that the two nations are ranked higher than the US. In particular, Poland’s rate of 4.4 is much lower than that of the US (6.1). This means that the US is ranked among nations like Poland and Slovakia, which are relatively underdeveloped and less industrialized.
Life expectancy
Life expectancy is the expressed number of years of an individual or organism remaining at a given time. It is the average number of years an organism is expected to live in respect to some mortality rates.
Life expectancy: The US and Japan, Chile, Austria and Poland
Again, the life expectancy rate in the US fairs badly compared with other developed nations. While Japan has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world (82.1 years), the US has one of the lowest rates among the developed nations (77 years).
In addition, the US is ranked closer to developing nations like Poland, Chile and Austria, where life expectancy rates stand at 75, 77.5 and 79.6 years respectively.
Explanations
The possible causes of these discrepancies that make the US rank low in the two key indicators of health can be explained in terms of socioeconomic structure. For instance, the US has a highly cosmopolitan population derived from various backgrounds, ethnicities, races, nations and continents (CDC, 2013). Different groups have different socioeconomic characteristics that affect their health. For example, African Americans and Hispanics have a relatively low life expectancy and higher infant death rates than the Caucasoid and some Asian groups (Bezrunchka, 2010).
Comparing infant mortality rate and life expectancy state by state
Infant mortality
The two states with the lowest infant mortality rates are New Hampshire (4.8) and Massachusetts (5.0). On the other hand, the District of Columbia and Mississippi have the highest infant mortality rates at 11.5 and 10.0 respectively.
Life expectancy rates
The states of Hawaii and Minnesota have the highest life expectancies in the US, standing at 81.3 and 81.1 years respectively. On the other hand, Mississippi and West Virginia have the lowest life expectancy rates in the US, currently standing at 75.0 and 75.4 years respectively.
Possible causes of the discrepancies
In the US, a number of social and economic aspects contribute to the discrepancies in the two indicators of health. For instance, Mississippi is ranked low in both key indicators of health, suggesting that its low economic ratings (in terms of GDP) as well as high rural population compared to other states affect the health of the population.
References
Bezrunchka, S. (2010). Health Equity in the USA. Social alternatives, 29(2), 50-56.
CDC. (2013). How Did Cause of Death Contribute to Racial Differences in Life Expectancy in the United States in 2012? Atlanta, GA: CDC.
Heisler, E. J. (2013). The US infant mortality rates: International comparisons, underlying factors and federal programs. New York: Congressional Research.