Are you interested in U.S. health care issues?  If so, please take a moment to review one of the library’s new reference books entitled Health, United States, 2011.  This government issued reference resource contains interesting statistics, trends, and demographic data on various aspects of health care such as health care status and determinants, health care utilization, health risk factors by various population groups, prevention, health insurance (who has it and who does not), morbidity, mortality, and personal health care expenditures. Furthermore, tables and charts capture significant data about  U.S. health care resources, facilities and services, offering the reader a better sense of the current health care environment. 

The report uses demographic data to create bridges between distinct categories.  For example, in the “highlights” section there are charts that outline the relationship between socioeconomic status and health.  One statistic draws a correlation between education level and life expectancy.  To that end, according to the report, on average in 2006, 25-year-old women without a high school diploma had a life expectancy 8.6 years fewer than those with a Bachelor’s degree.  Find out more about how education level impacts health-related issues by taking a closer look at this resource.

You can view this reference book, Health, United States, 2011, by visiting the Reference section at Palomar College Library or you can also link to the online version of the report via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website.