Here are the population health stories that captured the attention of Becker's Hospital Review readers during the month of April.
1. 5 things to know about America's unhealthy behaviors
The United Health Foundation released the second installment of its reporting series for 2016 — "America's Health Rankings Spotlight: Impact of Unhealthy Behaviors" — which shows more than 70 percent of U.S. adults report at least one unhealthy behavior.
2. Dr. Thomas Farley stands up to fast food, big tobacco in new book
In his latest book Saving Gotham: Billionaire Mayor, Activist Doctors, and the Fight for Eight Million Lives, Thomas A. Farley, MD, who served as New York's health commissioner from 2009 to 2014, argues the key to eradicating lifestyle-related diseases is by changing people's environments.
3. Americans are living longer, but in poorer health
The life expectancy for men and women in the U.S. has increased over the last 40 years, but so has the proportion of Americans living in poor health or with a disability, according to research led by the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
4. Obama administration launches task force on mental health parity
The White House established a task force to ensure those with mental health and substance abuse disorders are not discriminated against in the healthcare system.
5. Where poor Americans live impacts their life expectancy: 7 findings
Between 2001 and 2014, the association between life expectancy and income varied substantially across geographic areas of the U.S., according to the study, which was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.