Politics driving increased mortality rates across the U.S.

December 20, 2022 – Death rates are up among Americans, with people in some places faring worse than others—and toxic partisan politics is likely playing a role, according to recent research.

A December 16 Washington Post article explored studies showing that people living in conservative states or areas were more likely than those living in other areas to become ill or die prematurely. One study cited in the article, by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Nancy Krieger and colleagues, found that age-adjusted mortality rates were higher in states or areas where politicians embraced more conservative policies. COVID-19 death rates were 11% higher in states with Republican-controlled governments and 26% higher in regions where voters lean conservative. Similarly, hospital intensive care unit capacity was more stressed in more conservative areas.

Krieger, professor of social epidemiology, told the Post that the study’s findings are not due to the economic and social conditions of particular areas. Rather, the study suggests “that there is something going on through political processes associated with the political voting patterns of elected officials,” she said.

She added, “I’m not doing this research to be partisan, simplistically supporting one party or another. This is about looking at the behavior of different actors, some of whom have a lot more power than others to set standards, make demands and allocate resources.”

Read the Washington Post article: Can politics kill you? Research says the answer increasingly is yes.

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Political ideology of U.S. elected officials linked with COVID-19 health outcomes (Harvard Chan School release)