Choose A Country Other Than The United States ✓ Solved

Choose a country of your choice other than the United States

Choose a country of your choice other than the United States. Using the Internet collect data about mortality and morbidity indicators about that country. Compare the five leading causes of death in the United States with the five leading causes of death in that country. Also locate the agent, host, environment details and time, place, and person characteristics of any one of those.

Summarize your response in a double spaced typed paper of 500 words.

Paper For Above Instructions

The chosen country for this analysis is Japan, a nation known for its advanced healthcare system and high life expectancy. Japan's mortality and morbidity indicators are reflective of its societal structure, lifestyle, and environmental factors. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook, Japan has a life expectancy of approximately 84 years, indicating high overall health standards.

When comparing the leading causes of death between the United States and Japan, significant differences arise. The five leading causes of death in the United States, as per the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), include heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and stroke (CDC, 2021). On the other hand, Japan's leading causes of death focus heavily on age-related diseases, including cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, stroke, and senility (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, 2021).

Heart disease consistently ranks as the leading cause of death in both countries, but the prevalence of cancer as a primary cause of death is notably higher in Japan, where it accounts for about 30% of all fatalities (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, 2021). This disproportionate rate can be attributed to dietary factors and a high prevalence of smoking in Japan historically, though recent public health policies have made significant strides in reducing smoking rates.

An interesting aspect of Japan's health landscape is the prevalence of pneumonia, which stands out as a leading cause of death. This is primarily linked to the aging population, where elderly individuals are especially vulnerable. In contrast, the U.S. experiences a broader array of causes under the category of unintentional injuries, reflecting lifestyle-related risk factors and mortality among younger populations.

To further analyze one specific cause of death, let's explore pneumonia in Japan. Its significance in mortality rates can be examined through the agent-host-environment framework. The agent in pneumonia cases typically involves the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, which can cause severe respiratory illness. The host characteristics include the elderly population, often living in nursing homes or receiving home care, whom are more susceptible due to weakened immune systems.

The environment plays a critical role as well, particularly in terms of air quality and healthcare access. In urban areas of Japan, where pollution levels may fluctuate, the elderly can experience exacerbated respiratory conditions. Temporal factors such as seasonal changes also influence pneumonia rates, with colder months seeing an uptick in cases. Thus, the geographical characteristics of Japan, combined with its cultural practices such as living arrangements for the elderly, shape the morbidity and mortality linked to pneumonia.

In conjunction with the aforementioned influences, individual characteristics of patients — including pre-existing health conditions, lifestyle choices, and vaccination rates (such as the pneumococcal vaccine) — also affect outcomes related to pneumonia (World Health Organization, 2021).

Overall, while there are commonalities in the leading causes of death between the United States and Japan, notably heart disease, Japan's unique healthcare dynamics and demographic profile lead to distinct outcomes. A thorough understanding of these trends can be beneficial for healthcare policy development, aimed at improving life expectancy and quality of care for populations in both countries.

References

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Leading Causes of Death. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/leading_causes_of_death/leading_causes_of_death.htm
  • Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan. (2021). Health Statistics in Japan. Retrieved from https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hh/
  • World Health Organization. (2021). Pneumonia: Key facts. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/pneumonia
  • World Bank. (2021). Japan: Health Overview. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/japan/overview
  • OECD. (2020). Health at a Glance: Asia/Pacific 2020. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/health/health-at-a-glance-asia-pacific-2020-62c66d21-en.htm
  • National Institute of Infectious Diseases Japan. (2019). Epidemiology of Pneumonia in Japan. Retrieved from https://www.niid.go.jp/niid/en/
  • Health Ministry Japan. (2018). Annual Health Report. Retrieved from https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/wp/wp-hw10/index.html
  • Nakamura, Y., & Tominari, A. (2020). Trends in mortality due to pneumonia in the elderly in Japan. Journal of Epidemiology, 30(2), 75-82.
  • Park, J., & Kim, J. (2020). Comparative mortality patterns in the United States and Japan. International Journal of Public Health, 65(5), 753-759.
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Health, United States, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus19-508.pdf

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