Final answer:
The statement that the United States has one of the highest infant mortality rates among industrialized countries is true. The US IMR is higher due to factors like poverty and its unique healthcare system despite spending significantly on health care.
Step-by-step explanation:
Compared to other industrialized countries, infant mortality rates in the United States are among the highest. This statement is True. Although the United States spends more on health care than any other country, American babies experience an infant mortality rate (IMR) that is three times higher than in countries such as Finland or Japan. Factors contributing to the elevated IMR in the U.S. include poverty, the peculiarities of the American health care system, and the role of women in society. Furthermore, the IMR is an indicator that tends to be inversely correlated with a nation's wealth, making the high IMR in the United States particularly striking given the country's economic status.
Even within the United States, there is significant disparity in IMR: for example, it is twice as high in Mississippi as it is in New Hampshire. Global disparities in IMR are substantial, with rates in Sub-Saharan Africa being ten times that of the developed world. While poor nations struggle with malnutrition, disease, lack of access to quality health care, and unsanitary conditions, it is disconcerting to find that a wealthy nation like the United States also faces challenges leading to a higher IMR, despite its health care expenditure.