title: Persistent clusters of mortality in the United States.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
authors.forename: Jeralynn Sittig
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Cossman
authors.forename: Ronald E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Cossman
authors.forename: Wesley L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Carol R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Troy C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.forename: Arthur G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Cosby
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009026:Mortality; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D017062:Small-Area Analysis; D019371:Topography, Medical; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology