A Micro and Macro Analysis of Adult U.S. Mortlaity

Abstract

This study utilized individual and county-level analysis to examine the impact of demographic and distal factors on individual level mortality as well as spatial and county specific attributes on county death rates. The data used in the individual level analyses come from the linked NHANES NDI data set and the county level data come from multiple sources including spatially referenced sources. Findings suggest that having private or Federal insurance attenuates the mortality discrepancy between racial groups at the individual level and that spatial factors have an impact on county death rates that are not explained by county attributes. These analyses present questions about using common indicators to measure mortality at different levels suggesting that the variables used to understand mortality on the individual level are different from those that should be used to understand mortality at the county level.