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Published on: December 18, 2016
Structural pluralism and all-cause mortality
1College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. fwy1@cornell.edu
Objectives:
This study tested the hypothesis that "structural pluralism" reduces age-standardized mortality rates. Structural pluralism is defined as the potential for political competition in communities.
Methods:
US counties were the units of analysis. Multiple regression techniques were used to test the hypothesis.
Results:
Structural pluralism is a stronger determinant of lower mortality than any of the other variables examined--specifically, income, education, and medical facilities.
Conclusions:
These findings support the case for a new structural variable, pluralism, as a possible cause of lower mortality, and they indirectly support the significance of comparable ecologic dimensions, such as social trust.
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