Answer to Question 1
Asian Americans seem to be healthier than other racial-ethnic groups and whites. They are more likely than blacks or Latinos to have health insurance. They also have the highest life expectancy rates81 years for males and 87 years for females. Longer life spans may be due to a number of interrelated factors. For example, this group has the lowest (or one of the lowest) rates of obesity, heart disease and stroke deaths, vehicle-related deaths, suicides and homicides, drug-induced deaths, and deaths due to AIDS. A major reason for many Asian Americans' better health is their high SES. They have the highest median household income. They also have the highest education levels. Almost 21 percent, compared with 11 percent of the general population, have a graduate or professional degree. Because of their high education levels, Asian Americans are more likely than other racial-ethnic groups or whites to be concentrated in highly skilled occupations and high-paying occupations such as information technology, science, engineering, and medicine. The most successful are Asian Indians: 70 percent have at least a college degree, and they have the highest annual median household income.
Answer to Question 2
A
Central Asian Shepherd Dog
Spotted hyena cubs in Limpopo, South Africa. Note the well defined spots, which will fade with age
Cross-sectional data showing that the amount of effort spent on personal health care increases with
Figure 7.1 shows the rapid decline in the trust of Americans in government since the 1960s. This de
Review of Health and Illness over the Adult Years
economic question