Persistent clusters of mortality in the United States.
We explored how place shapes mortality by examining 35 consecutive years of US mortality data. Mapping age-adjusted county mortality rates showed both persistent temporal and spatial clustering of high and low mortality rates. Counties with high mortality rates and counties with low mortality rates both experienced younger population out-migration, had economic decline, and were predominantly rural. These mortality patterns have important implications for proper research model specification and for health resource allocation policies.
Cossman
Jeralynn Sittig
JS
Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
Cossman
Ronald E
RE
James
Wesley L
WL
Campbell
Carol R
CR
Blanchard
Troy C
TC
Cosby
Arthur G
AG
D006801:Humans; D009026:Mortality; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D017062:Small-Area Analysis; D019371:Topography, Medical; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology