When it comes to longevity, social factors play a bigger role than healthcare: study

Although healthcare plays a role, behavioral and social factors have significantly more influence on life longevity of people in the U.S., according to a new study published in the Annals for Family Medicine.

Researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine’s Clinical Excellence Research Center in California who examined just how much healthcare affects the risk for premature death by using four research methods and data sets.

All four methods came to the same conclusion: Healthcare accounts for between 5% and 15% of premature deaths, while behavioral and social factors account for between 16% and 65% of premature deaths in...