An examination of contemporary and historical patterns of health and disease in the UK and the rest of the world. Over the past century, the health of people living in industrialized countries has improved dramatically - but why? How does this compare with the experience of people living elsewhere? And why, within a country such as the UK, do inequalities exist between women and men, the married and the single, manual and non-manual workers, black people and white people? The book explores national and international patterns of health and disease. It begins by analyzing birth, disease and death rates around the world, and examines the impact of social, economic and medical change. The authors then focus on the UK, tracing in detail the present patterns of mortality and ill health, their historical background and their connection with factors such as income, housing, occupation and employment. The book concludes by looking at the development of the modern diet, a story that illustrates the many - and sometimes unexpected - influences on patterns of health and disease, but one that also underlines how imperfect our knowledge of these influences can be. "World Health and Disease" is a completely revised and updated version of "The Health of Nations", published by Open University Press in 1985. It is aimed particularly at lay and professional health care workers with an interest in all aspects of health and health care, as well as students of the social sciences, medicine and nursing, social work and soial policy.