The protective effects of civic communities against all-cause mortality

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1-2010

Abstract

This study integrates the civic community framework from sociology into ecological research on mortality rates. The main hypothesis is that communities with high levels of civic engagement, a strong institutional infrastructure for civic participation, and a vibrant entrepreneurial economic climate should have lower rates of all-cause mortality. The analysis drew on data from the CDC WONDER system database for all counties in the US. The results from weighted least squares analysis of county level all-cause mortality rates age-adjusted to the 2000 population provide substantial support for the civic community perspective. Net of a range of important control variables, civically strong communities exhibit significantly lower rates of all-cause mortality. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Social Science and Medicine

First Page

1840

Last Page

1846

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