Australia has consistently had the highest life expectancy among English-speaking countries for the past three decades, despite being home to some of the most dangerous animals in the world. A team of social scientists led by a Penn State researcher published a study in the journal BMJ Open comparing life expectancy in the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand from 1990 to 2019. Australians had the longest life expectancy at birth, with men living five more years and women living nearly four more years compared to their American counterparts. The Irish saw the largest gains in life expectancy, with men’s lifespans increasing by approximately eight years and women’s by more than six and a half years. On the other hand, Americans had the shortest life expectancy at birth.
The study also revealed that the United States had some of the largest geographical inequalities in life expectancy compared to the other countries. Women and men in California and Hawaii had some of the highest life expectancies, while states in the American Southeast had the lowest. One of the main reasons for America’s lower life expectancy is the higher death rates among younger people from preventable causes such as drug overdose, car accidents, and homicide. In midlife, there are also high death rates from drug- and alcohol-related mortality, as well as cardiovascular disease. These unhealthy behaviors, including sedentary lifestyles, obesity, unhealthy diets, stress, and smoking history, put Americans at a disadvantage in terms of their health and vitality.
Australia offers the U.S. a model for improving its life expectancy by implementing policies that have been successful in the country. For example, Australia’s gun law reforms have helped reduce gun deaths and homicides, drug and alcohol use, and chronic diseases. Investing in public transit infrastructure, reducing barriers to treatment and prevention of drug overdose, and encouraging healthier lifestyles through community interventions could help lower mortality rates in the United States. Australia’s success in achieving a higher life expectancy and lower geographic inequality in life expectancy serves as an example for how Americans can improve their health outcomes.
Jessica Ho, the lead researcher, emphasized the importance of learning from countries like Australia to aim for better life expectancy outcomes. By studying the successes of other countries with similar cultural backgrounds, the United States can identify areas for improvement and implement policies to address preventable causes of death. Ho suggested that implementing measures to reduce traffic deaths, drug-related mortality, and cardiovascular disease mortality could help improve overall health outcomes and increase life expectancy in the U.S. The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health and also involved contributions from Rachel Wilkie, a doctoral student at the University of Southern California.
Overall, the study highlights the disparities in life expectancy among high-income Anglophone countries and the potential for the United States to learn from countries like Australia to improve its health outcomes. By addressing preventable causes of death, implementing effective public health policies, and promoting healthier lifestyles, the U.S. can work towards achieving higher life expectancy and reducing geographical inequalities. Looking at successful models like Australia, Americans can identify strategies to improve their health and well-being and ultimately increase their life expectancy.