Many may view a measurement of life expectancy as an estimate for how long an average person is expected to live. But in public health, that’s likely not what it actually reflects.

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While two primary versions of the metric exist, experts like Dr. Steven Woolf – a professor in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine whose research frequently deals with the subject – are most often examining what's known as "period" life expectancy. What it reflects from one year to the next can offer clues as to what's weighing down the health of a population or why it may be bouncing back.

“It’s very important in terms of sounding a warning about conditions that are going on within a population,” Woolf says.

Woolf recently spoke with U.S. News about the value of life expectancy as a health metric, public misconceptions about what it reflects and ways in which the measure can inform policies aimed at addressing health inequities.

The interview below has been edited for length and clarity.

What is the value of life expectancy as an indicator of health?

Woolf: It is a statistic that is used to summarize the mortality picture for a population.

To put it in a practical sense, if you were to ask me what the mortality rates are for........

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