Red States can be hazardous to your health

This is a pretty stark contrast between different states impacts on your health. The states with the longest life expectancies are all blue or purple states, while the states with the lowest life spans are all red and mostly in the south (and religious too, I might add).

www.nationaljournal.com...

Yeah ...

Somehow, I don't think moving to Chicago or Detroit is going to increase my lifespan. But even if it did, I think I'd pass.

reply to post by CB328


That's it, keep on dividing people. That's the "Hope and Change" philosophy right? Because America needs more division.

'There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.'
- Attributed to Benjamin Disraeli by Mark Twain

I don't wanna live to be so old I can't get it up any more, have to wear diapers, not able to drive, barely walk, etc. I'll keep my red and live it out as long is it lasts.

reply to post by CB328


It is interesting, however it seems flawed a bit. I would like to know how their findings were gathered. It seems more of a 'global' comparison presentation, than any red/blue US State comparison, if one follows the originating link within the presented one: Le ft Behind.

Certainly education, mental health, opportunity, diet, and many other factors determine longevity. I am a fan of U-Dub. It is one of the finest Universities in the United States. But unless I am reading an different article, this seems more a of global comparison? The stats presented for American counties withstanding, and not to undermine or deny their statistical vailidity.

"They used a mixed-effects Poisson statistical model with time, geospatial, and covariate components and Gaussian Process Regression to estimate."

Yes. An estimate only. Here is the explanation of the method used to gather this data: Mixed-Effects Poisson (Be advised it opens as a Google Doc)

So, as I am neither mathmetician nor of a scientifical bent, it may be right on and encompass every possible factor.

Wonder if they would be willing to do a Red Blue comparison of peoples happiness with respect to enjoying their freedoms...

Would rather die early than live in hell my whole life.

"Send me to hell or New York City, it'll be about the same to me. "-- HANK JR.

By all means, stay in whatever blue state paradise you are currently in. Those of us out here in Red America don't want you. You'd just come here and try to force us all to be like you.

Of course, I'd wonder how many people generally can afford to stay and retire in those places. Usually, only wealthy people can afford to, and wealthy people are naturally going to live the longest because they can pay for the best.

eh; its probably equal. It probably sucks to be poor in both states. For those that aren't poor its likely even, with different factors cancelling each other out.

Great Job btw OP; nice bait for the "murrika" crowd.

For 1999-2001, the lowest life expectancy by state in the U.S. was not in a state. It was in D.C. I kid you not www.cdc.gov...

The highest was Hawaii. I'm still looking for more recent numbers.

reply to post by NonsensicalUserName


The 'murrika' crowd? Does that mean the Blue states don't have 'murrika' pride? Makes me even more happy to live in the Red.

reply to post by CB328


i noticed that you didn't include this with the jab you took at the religious,

Conclusions
While life expectancy in most US counties is increasing, there are widening disparities between counties, and US life expectancy is increasing more slowly compared to other countries, especially for women. The researchers call for increased attention on socioeconomic factors such as poverty and education, lack of access to or poor quality of health care, and risk factors such as poor diet, physical inactivity, and smoking to determine why the US has failed to make any progress in reducing disparities at the county level.

Le ft behind: widening disparities for males and females in US county life expectancy, 1985-2010

you can see the report if you click report in the first sentence, in the op's link.

Income levels appear to be a factor, and just a wild guess , race.

Higher crime rates in Red States? Really? Compared to Detroit or Chicago?

One thing you find in Red States that are often absent in Blue States: Help Wanted signs.

reply to post by CB328

So rather than locale, you surmised it all down to political leanings? Can you be more transparent?

But you have concluded that it must be their political leanings...

Care to cross reference concrete examples of that political leaning injected in the various locales?

Many "Red" States had 40% and higher votes for Obama in 2012.

Hardly enough to support this theory of lower life spans.

Click on the state and get to the counties.

Maybe some mentioned in the OP story are actually "Blue" ?

Tunica County Mississippi for example had a 79% vote for Obama.

Quitman County Mississippi had 71% for Obama.

More.....

2012 Presidential Election

So rather than locale, you surmised it all down to political leanings?

These locales are conservative states, take from that what you will.

reply to post by CB328


And blue states can be hazardous to your freedom.

What are you getting at?

For the places with lower life expectancies, I see states like Kentucky, Mississippi, and Virgina repeated. 2 things stuck out in my mind: The south is POORER and eats way crappier than some other states, Red Miss I think being simultaneously the fattest and poorest in the nation. Fatty southern food + prevalent low incomes = not going have the money for doctors and healthier foods to live as long. No brainer here.