Life expectancy
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy (pronunciation: /laɪf ɪkˈspɛktənsi/) is a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, its current age, and other demographic factors including gender.
Etymology
The term "life expectancy" is derived from the English words "life" (from Old English 'līf') and "expectancy" (from Latin 'expectare' meaning 'to look out for').
Definition
At its simplest level, life expectancy is the average number of years a person can expect to live. This is calculated using current death rates, which reflect the health and healthcare of a population. However, it's important to note that life expectancy can vary greatly depending on various factors such as geographical location, socioeconomic status, lifestyle habits, and genetics.
Factors Influencing Life Expectancy
There are several factors that can influence life expectancy, including:
- Genetics: Certain genetic factors can influence how long a person lives. For example, some genetic disorders can shorten a person's life expectancy.
- Lifestyle: Lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, and substance use can also impact life expectancy.
- Socioeconomic Status: Socioeconomic status can influence life expectancy through access to healthcare, nutrition, and living conditions.
- Geographical Location: Life expectancy can vary greatly from one country or region to another, due to differences in healthcare, diet, and lifestyle.
Related Terms
- Mortality Rate: The mortality rate is a measure of the number of deaths in a particular population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit of time.
- Longevity: Longevity is a term that refers to long life or the lifespan of a person.
- Aging: Aging is the process of becoming older, which involves a range of biological mechanisms that lead to deterioration of health – both cognitive and physical – over time.
- Healthcare: Healthcare is the maintenance or improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, recovery, or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Life expectancy
- Wikipedia's article - Life expectancy
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