Length of life

About

Length of life measures the time between birth and death and how often people die early. Everyone should have the resources and opportunities to live long and well, regardless of where they live.

Relationship to health and equity

We can influence how long people live by improving the community conditions that impact health. Examples of these conditions include access to nutritious foods, quality medical care, good jobs and a clean environment. When decision makers value people differently according to their race, income or where they live, they produce community conditions that limit length of life and create inequities. These injustices and the subsequent stress collect in our bodies and can shorten our lives. Population health data help us identify and measure the impacts of these injustices. For example, 2021 life expectancy rates in the U.S. show that white people have an average life expectancy of 76 years compared to 71 years for Black people and 65 years for American Indian/Alaska Natives.

Relationship to systems and structures

When we break down length of life data by different populations, we see how decisions made by people in power can result shorter life expectancy. We, alongside those most harmed, can change the structure of society in ways that improve community conditions and lengthen life for everyone. One example of this is the Voting Rights Act of 1965. After Congress passed the act, Black voters held elected officials and agency leadership accountable to the enforcement of the Civil Rights Act, which included desegregation of hospitals. Subsequently, from 1965 through 1971, Black infant mortality rates dropped significantly and the gap between Black and white infant mortality narrowed.

Additional Reading

• Arias, E., Tejada-Vera, B., Kochanek, K.D., & Ahmad, F.B. (2022). Provisional life expectancy estimates for 2021. National Vital Statistics Rapid Release 23. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-12.pdf
• Ehlinger, E.P., & Nevarez, C.R. (2021). Safe and accessible voting: The role of public health. American Journal of Public Health, 111(1), 45-6. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.306011