Understanding The Relationships Between Noncommunicable Diseases, Unhealthy Lifestyles, And Country Wealth

• DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0343
• Publication Date: 2015-09-09T13:15:07Z
• Authors: Thomas J. Bollyky; Tara Templin; Caroline Andridge; Joseph L. Dieleman
• Keywords: Non-communicable disease; Investment

The amount of international aid given to address noncommunicable diseases is minimal. Most it directed wealthier countries and focuses on the prevention unhealthy lifestyles. Explanations for current direction disease include that these are affluence benefit from substantial research development into their treatment in high-income better addressed through domestic tax policy measures reduce risk-factor prevalence than programs. This study assessed justifications. First, we examined relationships among premature adult mortality, defined as probability a person who has lived age fifteen will die before sixty diseases; major risk factors country wealth. Second, compared communicable prevalent poor wealthy alike, respective links economic development. Last, roles wealth have played achieved reductions mortality diseases. Our results support greater investment cost-effective preventive care poorer higher priority reducing key factors, particularly tobacco use.