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Associations between income inequality and mortality among US states: The importance of time period and source of income data

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  • Lynch, J.
  • Harper, S.
  • Kaplan, G.A.
  • Smith, G.D.

Abstract

Objectives. We used census data to examine associations between income inequality and mortality among US states for each decade from 1949 to 1999 and tax return income data to estimate associations for 1989. Methods. Cross-sectional correlation analyses were used to assess income inequality-mortality relationships. Results. Census income analyses revealed little association between income inequality and mortality for 1949, 1959, or 1969. An association emerged for 1979 and strengthened for 1989 but weakened for 1999. When income inequality was based on tax return data, associations were weaker for both 1989 and 1999. Conclusions. The strong association between income inequality and mortality observed among US states for 1989 was not observed for other periods from 1949 through 1999. In addition, when tax return rather than census data were used, the association was weaker for 1989 and 1999. The potential for distal social determinants of population health (e.g., income inequality) to affect mortality is contingent on how such determinants influence levels of proximal risk factors and the time lags between exposure to those risk factors and effects on specific health outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Lynch, J. & Harper, S. & Kaplan, G.A. & Smith, G.D., 2005. "Associations between income inequality and mortality among US states: The importance of time period and source of income data," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(8), pages 1424-1430.
  • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2004.048439_9
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.048439
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    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Zhuo & Roy, Kakoli & Haddix, Anne C. & Thacker, Stephen B., 2010. "Factors associated with differences in mortality and self-reported health across states in the United States," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(3), pages 203-210, March.
    2. Jeremy Porter, 2012. "Religion and politics: understanding the effects of conservative origins on contemporary patterns of sub-national relative human development," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 46(5), pages 1359-1376, August.
    3. Jeremy Porter, 2012. "A Simplified Indicator of Social Well-Being in the United States: Examining the Ecological Impact of Family Formation within a County Level Framework," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 108(3), pages 421-440, September.
    4. Tim Sawert & Julia Tuppat, 2020. "Social Inequality in the Digital Transformation: Risks and Potentials of Mobile Health Technologies for Social Inequalities in Health," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1079, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    5. Melissa P L Chan & Robert S Weinhold & Reuben Thomas & Julia M Gohlke & Christopher J Portier, 2015. "Environmental Predictors of US County Mortality Patterns on a National Basis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(12), pages 1-25, December.

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