FrontMatter -- Foreword -- Preface -- Contents -- Figures, Tables, and Boxes -- Summary -- Introduction -- Part I: Documenting the U.S. Health Disadvantage -- 1 Shorter Lives -- 2 Poorer Health Throughout Life -- Part II: Explaining the U.S. Health Disadvantage -- 3 Framing the Question -- 4 Public Health and Medical Care Systems -- 5 Individual Behaviors -- 6 Social Factors -- 7 Physical and Social Environmental Factors -- 8 Policies and Social Values -- Part III: Future Directions for Understanding the U.S. Health Disadvantage -- 9 Research Agenda -- 10 Next Steps -- References and Bibliography -- Appendixes -- Appendix A: Recommendations of the National Prevention Council and Evidence Cited in Its Report -- Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Panel Members and Staff -- Index.