Journal article
Politicians, power, and the people’s health: US elections and state health outcomes, 2012-2024
Health affairs scholar, v 2(12), qxae163
27 Nov 2024
PMID: 39664487
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Our descriptive study examined current associations (2022-2024) between US state-level health outcomes and four US state-level political metrics: two rarely used in public health research (political ideology of elected representatives based on voting records; trifectas, where one party controls the executive and legislative branches), and two more commonly used (state policies enacted; voter political lean). The eight health outcomes spanned the lifecourse: infant mortality; premature mortality (death <age 65; health insurance (adults aged 35-64); vaccination for children and persons aged ≥65 (flu; COVID-19 booster); maternity care deserts; and food insecurity; for the first three outcomes, we also examined trends in associations (2012-2024). For all political metrics, higher state-level political conservatism was associated with worse health outcomes, especially for the metrics for political ideology and state trifectas. For example, in 2016 the premature mortality rate in states with Republican vs. Democratic trifectas was higher by 55.4 deaths per 100,000 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.7, 103.1), and the slope of the rate of increase to 2021 was also higher, by 27.0 deaths per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 24.4, 29.7). These results suggest elections, political ideology, and concentrations of political power matter for population health.
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Details
- Title
- Politicians, power, and the people’s health: US elections and state health outcomes, 2012-2024
- Creators
- Nancy Krieger (Corresponding Author) - Harvard UniversitySoroush Moallef - Harvard UniversityJarvis T Chen - Harvard UniversityRuchita Balasubramanian - Harvard UniversityTori L Cowger - Harvard UniversityRita Hamad - Harvard UniversityAlecia J McGregor - Harvard UniversityWilliam P Hanage - Harvard UniversityLoni Philip Tabb - Drexel UniversityMary T Bassett - Harvard University
- Publication Details
- Health affairs scholar, v 2(12), qxae163
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press; OXFORD
- Number of pages
- 16
- Grant note
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Award: 193216
S.M. is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Award (FRN #193216). The CIHR played no role in the writing of the manuscript or the decision to submit it for publication.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Urban Health Collaborative; Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001375089700001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105024436701
- Other Identifier
- 991021963515504721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Health Care Sciences & Services
- Health Policy & Services