Impact of Socioeconomic and Demographic Factors on Causes of Death in the U.S.

The incidence of diseases and accidents that lead to death is not uniform throughout the U.S. but rather varies widely among different regions. This study uses county-level data on numbers and causes of death for the entire U.S. in an effort to link these causes of death to various county-level social and economic variables. Examples of causes of death for which county-level data are available include cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases, motor vehicle accidents, and other causes such as non-motor vehicle accidents and drownings. A series of econometric equations is specified. Each equation includes socioeconomic and demographic variables thought to be related to the particular cause of death. For example, infectious diseases may be more prevalent in areas with high population densities; the incidences of cancer and heart disease may be age-related. Computer cartography (G!S) is employed to generate county-level maps illustrating the differences in causes of deaths across counties for the entire U.S.