Related Experiment Videos
Voting conservative and mortality
1Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Pomona 08240-0195, USA.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|December 8, 1998
Summary
Lower support for Ronald Reagan in 1980 US presidential elections correlated with higher mortality rates. This finding mirrors a similar pattern observed in Great Britain during 1996, suggesting a potential link between political leanings and public health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Political Science
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Political factors can influence public health outcomes.
- Previous research indicated a correlation between voting patterns and mortality in Great Britain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between presidential election results and mortality rates in American states.
- To determine if the British finding could be replicated in the United States.
Main Methods:
- Ecological study design.
- Analysis of 1980 US presidential election vote share data.
- Correlation with state-level mortality rates.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant inverse relationship was observed: lower votes for Reagan were associated with higher mortality rates.
- This pattern replicated the findings from Great Britain in 1996.
Conclusions:
- Political affiliation and voting behavior may be linked to population health.
- Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms behind this association.