Table of Contents

1 Front Matter; 2 Summary; 3 Introduction; 4 Part I: Documenting the U.S. Health Disadvantage; 5 1 Shorter Lives; 6 2 Poorer Health Throughout Life; 7 Part II: Explaining the U.S. Health Disadvantage; 8 3 Framing the Question; 9 4 Public Health and Medical Care Systems; 10 5 Individual Behaviors; 11 6 Social Factors; 12 7 Physical and Social Environmental Factors; 13 8 Policies and Social Values; 14 Part III: Future Directions for Understanding the U.S. Health Disadvantage; 15 9 Research Agenda; 16 10 Next Steps; 17 References and Bibliography; 18 Appendixes; 19 Appendix A: Recommendations of the National Prevention Council and Evidence Cited in Its Report; 20 Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Panel Members and Staff; 21 Index