National Center for Health Statistics, CDC. Life Expectancy by Birth by State, 2021 Data. National Vital Statistics System. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-07.pdf.

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Summary:

This report by the CDC provides data on life expectancy across different states in the U.S. for the year 202, showing various demographic factors.

Relation to Topic:

This life expectancy data allows me to compare health outcomes across states with similar economic factors but differing political leanings. This will help me to analyze whether political leaning of the state government impacts life expectancy.

Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Department of Commerce. Gross Domestic Product by State and Personal Income by State, 2nd Quarter 2024. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2024-09/stgdppi2q24.pdf.

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Summary:

This report breaks down the GDP and personal income by state.

Relation to Topic:

This report offers insight into each state's economic health and the financial health of its residents. Comparing economic metrics across states with different political leanings will help to determine if political beliefs correlate with economic prosperity and life expectancy outcomes.

Federal Election Commission, USA. Federal Election Results and Voting Information, 2004–2020. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/federalelections2004.pdf.

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Summary:

This election data from the Federal Election Commission covers federal election outcomes, showing voting trends and political shifts across states from 2004 to 2020.

Relation to Topic:

These historical voting patterns can provide context on each state’s political climate which I will need for analyzing whether political beliefs correlate with differences in life expectancy.

The burden of firearm violence in the United States: stricter laws result in safer states https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5801608/

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Summary:

Determining the relationship between gun control laws and firearm related injuries. States were divided into two groups: strict firearm laws [SFL] or non-strict firearm laws [Non-SFL]. Results showed that non-SFL states had a higher rate of firearm injuries per 1000 trauma patients than in SFL states(SFL states had a 28% lower incidence of firearm related injuries compared to Non-SFL states) as well as non-SFL states having higher firearm mortality rates, proving that less gun control laws leads to more firearm related injuries and deaths

Relation to Topic:

This test shows how firearm legislation affects firearm injuries and deaths. It shows why it would make sense that a state with less gun control laws would have a lower life expectancy due to the higher rate of firearm related deaths.

The Era of Progress on Gun Mortality: State Gun Regulations and Gun Deaths from 1991 to 2016 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37732847/

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Summary:

Measures the change in gun regulations at the state level and the change in gun mortality from 1991 to 2016. States that made gun regulations from 1991 to 2016 were seen to have substantial reductions in gun mortality.

Relation to Topic:

Like the source prior, these results also show the clear connection between gun control and gun mortality. States with gun control laws have fewer people dying from gun related incidents. These states also tend to higher average life expectancies, showing the correlation between gun control laws in a state and the people in the state living longer on average.

Trends and Social Inequalities in Maternal Mortality in the United States, 1969-2018 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7792749/

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Summary:

This study looks at the trends and inequalities in US maternal mortality by maternal race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, nativity/immigrant status, marital status, area deprivation, urbanization level, and cause of death. The study shows the decline in maternal mortality between 1969 and 1998 but a recent increase in maternal mortality rates. The study shows the difference in maternal mortality rates based on the factors mentioned above and found that there is a big difference in mortality when looking at these factors and demographics.

Relation to Topic:

Shows how mortality rates can greatly vary. While this study shows the variety on the maternal level we can assume we will see similar outcomes when looking at the state level(ex: state income, % of the demographics with higher maternal mortality rates state by state), impacting the number of deaths in the state and therefore the average life expectancy in that state.

Assessing COVID-19 pandemic policies and behaviors and their economic and educational trade-offs across US states from Jan 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022: an observational analysis https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10036128/

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Summary:

Looking at the factors of US response to covid state by state based on a list of key policy-relevant questions. Found that covid magnified preexisting social, economic, and racial inequalities. States that were able to minimize those inequalities were seen to have better response to covid. These states were more likely to have vaccine mandates and fast response to covid.

Relation to Topic:

States with minimal(or at least less) inequality tended to respond better to the covid pandemic. This could have a correlation to the political leaning of these states with blue states often having lesser inequality, better response to covid, and higher average life expectancy. This shows how the policies in states impact that state’s average life expectancy.

Hallas, Laura. “COVID-19 Government Response Tracker | Blavatnik School of Government.” Homepage | Blavatnik School of Government, 2020, https://www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/research/covid-19-government-response-tracker.

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Summary:

This article measures responses to Covid by state. It concludes that timely gov. responses were crucial in stopping the spread of the virus. It uses a methodology called OxCGRT developed at Oxford university. It offers a deep statistical analysis on covid responses.

Relation to Topic:

Shows how the response to covid directly stops the spread of covid and therefore lowers the number of deaths due to covid. This explains why states with better response to covid would have a higher average life expectancy (after and during covid) due to the reduced covid deaths.

State-level income inequality and mortality among infants born in the United States 2007–2010: A Cohort Study https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-7651-y

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Summary:

Study on if the current income inequality and increases in income inequality are associated with infant and neonatal mortality risk over the period of the 2007–2010 recession/financial crisis in the United States. Found that states with a greater change in income inequality between 1990 and 2007 to 2010 had a greater likelihood of infant and neonatal mortality.

Relation to Topic:

Also shows the correlation between income and infant mortality. The lower income states have a higher likelihood of infant and neonatal mortality. This could correlate to why some of these same lower income states have low average life expectancies.

Poverty, urban-rural classification and term infant mortality: a population-based multilevel analysis https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6343321/

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Summary:

looking into the relationship between poverty and infant mortality. Despite the decline in infant mortality in recent years, the United States (US) infant mortality rate (IMR) remains higher than most other developed countries.

Relation to Topic:

Shows the connection between infant mortality and poverty. Many states(but not all) with low average life expectancies are lower income states. Infant mortality could be contributing to the lower life expectancy in these lower income states. The US also has unusually high infant mortality rates for a rich country but these lower income states may be the reason for the higher rates.

Rodriguez, J.M., Bae, B. Political Ideology Direction of Policy Agendas and Maternal Mortality Outcomes in the U.S., 1915–2007. Matern Child Health J 28, 865–872 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-023-03859-2

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Summary:

This study looks at maternal mortality rates and political ideologies. The study uses the ideological shift of the republican and democratic parties to look at maternal mortality rates during democratic vs republican administrations and see how maternal mortality rates are impacted by the ideologies of the administration that is in power. Found that before the ideological shift of the parties maternal mortality rates were higher under the democratic party but after the ideological shift(the current day beliefs of the dem. and rep. parties) the maternal mortality rate has been higher under republican administration.

Relation to Topic:

Though this is looking at the whole country and not just state by state, this shows how political leaning impacts maternal mortality rates. This shows how current day republican states have higher maternal mortality rates. Red states also tend to have lower average life expectancy, this shows how those two things correlate.

Association of state-level factors with rate of firearm-related deaths https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10407436/

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Summary:

Study on how state level factors impact rates of firearm deaths. Found that states with permitless open or concealed carry laws had higher rates of gun related suicides as well as overall gun related deaths but this could also like be due to the socioeconomic status of the states where we see these laws.

Relation to Topic:

Shows the connection between both gun legislation, socioeconomic status, and political lean with gun related deaths. Shows the connection between certain factors in a state and deaths in that state. The states with these certain factors are the same states with lower average life expectancies.

The effect of drugs and guns on life expectancy in the United States, 2000-2020 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39442343/

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Summary:

This study estimated the effect of changing trends in drug and firearm related mortality on life expectancy in the U.S. over the last two decades. In 2020 drug and firearm related mortality lowered average life expectancy for men by 1.67 years and average life expectancy for women by 0.63 years. This is greater than in 2000 where drug and firearm related mortality lowered average life expectancy for men by 0.67 years and average life expectancy for women by 0.20 years.

Relation to Topic:

I am not looking into the impact of drugs on life expectancy but I am looking into firearms. Firearm mortality is shown to lower average life expectancy. As shown in earlier sources, less gun control laws directly correlates to more gun related deaths. This article shows the connection between gun related deaths and lowered life expectancy, proving that states with worse gun control legislation are more likely to have lower life expectancies.

The Association Between Income and Life Expectancy in the United States, 2001–2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4866586/

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Summary:

This study measures the association between life expectancy and income. It shows the connection between higher income and higher life expectancy.

Relation to Topic:

As mentioned in previous sources, income has a huge impact on maternal mortality, firearm mortality, and covid response. This source shows how lower income relates to lower life expectancy, solidifying some sort of connection(or correlation) between maternal mortality, firearm mortality, and covid response in a state and life expectancy in those same states.

The effectiveness of COVID deaths to COVID policies: A robust conditional approach https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10276656/

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Summary:

This study looks at the effectiveness of covid policies in lowering deaths due to covid. shows the effectiveness of social distancing policies, shelter-in-place orders , non-essential business closures, mandatory quarantine for travelers, and bans on large gatherings on lowered covid death rates.

Relation to Topic:

States with worse covid policies have higher rates of deaths due to covid. This shows how life expectancy can be impacted by policies. States with worse covid response are the same states with lower life expectancy.

Ney, Jeremy. "America's Life-Expectancy Divide Is Getting Worse." Time, April 12, 2023. https://time.com/6270808/americas-life-expectancy-divide/.

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Summary:

Talks about the disparity in life expectancy depending on the state. Shows how big of an impact wealth, demographics, and location has on a certain state’s life expectancy. Shows the importance of state policies such as income support, medicaid expansion, stronger gun control, drug overdose prevention, and safe abortion access in impacting life expectancy. Shows how differing state policies could explain the disparity in life expectancy in the different states.

Relation to Topic:

This is almost exactly my argument. This shows how state policies, and political ideology by association, can impact the life expectancy in these states. The specific policies this article looks into are also extremely relevant to my topic as they are policies than tend to differ greatly between states with different political ideologies.

Couillard, Benjamin K., Christopher L. Foote, Kavish Gandhi, Ellen Meara, and Jonathan Skinner. “Rising Geographic Disparities in US Mortality.” The Journal of Economic Perspectives 35, no. 4 (2021): 123–46. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27074128.

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Summary:

Looking at rising disparities in life expectancy and mortality in The United States. Mortality in things such as heart disease has gone down due to medical advancements but mortality of things such as suicide, drug overdoses, and alcohol related mortality have gone up.

Relation to Topic:

Shows how there is a big gap in life expectancy in different states in the US.

Ansell, David A., MD, and Lori E. Lightfoot. The Death Gap: How Inequality Kills. Paperback. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2021.

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Summary:

This book is about how inequality leads to gaps in life expectancy as well as overall public health.

Relation to Topic:

This shows how big the disparity in life expectancy is in different areas. The economic status of a state or even of a region within a state has a huge impact on the life expectancy and average wellbeing and public health of that area’s residents.

Just Human Productions. “E12 - Gun Violence in America: More Guns, More or Less Crime?” American Diagnosis (podcast). Hosted by Dr. Céline Gounder. Last modified August 23, 2018. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://www.justhumanproductions.org/podcasts/e12-gun-violence-in-america-more-guns-more-or-less-crime/.

Summary:

This podcast looks into the connection between easy gun accessibility and crime levels.

Relation to Topic:

Show the real world connection between gun laws and crime rates. Shows how public policies and laws can have a huge impact on the topics they are about. Gun laws and gun violence are directly linked.