Canadians healthier, live longer than Americans

[Hauldren Collider]

I'm not sure why Oncle Boris suddenly felt the urge to spew a racial slur, but I'm not impressed.

[Asher]

I've emailed Dr. Feeny to clarify.

[Asher]

The white, non-hispanic percentage of the U.S. population is only 65.4%. With white hispanics included, the white percentage rises to only 75%. I call shenanigans on this study.

The goal was to find close-to-identical demographics data to normalize them and prevent this kind of discussion in the first place. I'm not sure you understand the nature of the study.

[Fake Boris]

I'm not sure why Oncle Boris suddenly felt the urge to spew a racial slur, but I'm not impressed.

Reply to the argument.

[Drake Tungsten]

The goal was to find close-to-identical demographics data to normalize them and prevent this kind of discussion in the first place.

Now you're just being retarded...

1. There's no need for the demographics in the U.S. and Canada to be "close-to-identical" if you're properly controlling for demographics in your regression model.

2. To try to draw conclusions about population health in the U.S. from a data set that doesn't seem to approximate the demographic makeup of the U.S. population is ridiculous.

edit: I should note that I'm not criticizing the data set; the 2002/03 JCUSH seems like a well-designed telephone survey. What the authors of this study did with that data set, however, leaves a lot to be desired.

[Fake Boris]

Drake, I'm not sure I'm getting your point.

What demographic do you want to isolate, and why?

[Drake Tungsten]

Drake, I'm not sure I'm getting your point.

What demographic do you want to isolate, and why?

If you're going to adequately control for demographic differences between the U.S. and Canada, you can't just control for blacks and leave it at that. The larger Hispanic population in the U.S. also needs to be controlled for, which is a more difficult task than controlling for blacks due to the fact that Hispanics are often counted with Caucasians as "white" in data sets.

I'm not surprised that a filosofer failed to understand something this basic.

[Fake Boris]

Drake, I'm not sure I'm getting your point.

What demographic do you want to isolate, and why?

If you're going to adequately control for demographic differences between the U.S. and Canada, you can't just control for blacks and leave it at that. The larger Hispanic population in the U.S. also needs to be controlled for, which is a more difficult task than controlling for blacks due to the fact that Hispanics are often counted with Caucasians as "white" in data sets.

I'm not surprised that a filosofer failed to understand something this basic.

OK, but then why does ethnicity interest you that much? Especially Hispanics.

[Ecofarm]

Of course Canadians keep longer, they live in the refrigerator. Really, it's amazing that USians live as long as they do. For example, take something out of your fridge and see how long it lasts.

[Drake Tungsten]

OK, but then why does ethnicity interest you that much? Especially Hispanics.

Jesus Christ...

[Hauldren Collider]

It's really not worth explaining to him, if he doesn't see the obvious it's because he doesn't want to.

[Drake Tungsten]

No, he can't see the obvious because he's a filosofer and therefore retarded. I'm sure he really doesn't understand.

[Flubber]

Hmm I see a study where they have not tried to break down into root causes and the impacts of each but the statistics would tend to support hypothesis that Canadians enjoy better "health" than Americans. I have seen mention of healthcare itself and income redistributions as potential causes of this and they are likely "good" causes (as they probably do contribute).

But with something as complex as health there can be other factors like greater urbanization, any cultural differences ( including racial and age demographics with impacts on diet and crime for example). I have not looked at the underlying study yet but it CAN be difficult to control for all these things. I think that might be part of what Drake is getting at .

That said, I have seen statistics in the past that have linked health very directly to income (NO I don't have them at hand). So it would not be a large stretch to decduce that different poverty levels between two countries might explain some of the health differences

[Flubber]

Oh and having had a personal brush with the US healthcare system recently I was a little surprised at how palatial and opulent everything was (in the waiting areas, lobbies etc etc) and the surgeon actually talked a bit about how he did not agree with the way hospitals were turning themselves into hospital-hotels, spending lots on comforts and less on less visible equipment and staff, as they needed to compete for "customers". Our son's care was excellent down there but I will be curious as to the costs if I ever happen to see the final bill

[Flubber]

Regardless of the root causes, it is notable that Canadians would live longer and be healthy longer than Americans. Even if someone can dispute the causes, it still seems like Canada is doing something right