International Differences in Mortality at Older Ages : Dimensions and Sources

FrontMatter -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- 1 Introduction and Overview--Eileen M. Crimmins, Samuel H. Preston, and Barney Cohen -- Part I: Levels and Trends -- 2 Diverging Trends in Life Expectancy at Age 50: A Look at Causes of Death--Dana A. Glei, France Meslé, and Jacques Vallin -- 3 Are International Differences in Health Similar to International Differences in Life Expectancy?--Eileen M. Crimmins, Krista Garcia, and Jung Ki Kim -- Part II: Identifying Causal Explanations -- 4 Contribution of Smoking to International Differences in Life Expectancy--Samuel H. Preston, Dana A. Glei, and John R. Wilmoth -- 5 Divergent Patterns of Smoking Across High-Income Nations--Fred Pampel -- 6 Can Obesity Account for Cross-National Differences in Life-Expectancy Trends?--Dawn E. Alley, Jennifer Lloyd, and Michelle Shardell -- 7 The Contribution of Physical Activity to Divergent Trends in Longevity--Andrew Steptoe and Anna Wikman -- 8 Do Cross-Country Variations in Social Integration and Social Interactions Explain Differences in Life Expectancy in Industrialized Countries?--James Banks, Lisa Berkman, and James P. Smith with Mauricio Avendano and Maria Glymour -- Part III: The U.S. Health System -- 9 Low Life Expectancy in the United States: Is the Health Care System at Fault?--Samuel H. Preston and Jessica Ho -- 10 Can Hormone Therapy Account for American Women's Survival Disadvantage?--Noreen Goldman -- Part IV: Inequality -- 11 Do Americans Have Higher Mortality Than Europeans at All Levels of the Education Distribution?: A Comparison of the United States and 14 European Countries--Mauricio Avendano, Renske Kok, Maria Glymour, Lisa Berkman, Ichiro Kawachi, Anton Kunst, and Johan Mackenbach with support from members of the Eurothine Consortium.