McFarland Michael J, Hill Terrence D, Montez Jennifer Karas
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
J Health Soc Behav. 2023 Mar;64(1):2-20. doi: 10.1177/00221465221109202. Epub 2022 Jul 16.
Studies of the relationship between income inequality and life expectancy often speculate about the role of policy, but direct empirical research is limited. Drawing on the neo-materialist perspective, we examine whether the longitudinal association between income inequality and life expectancy is mediated and moderated by policy liberalism in U.S. states (2000-2014). More liberal policy contexts are characterized by greater efforts to regulate the economy, redistribute income, and protect vulnerable groups and lesser efforts to penalize deviant social behavior. We find that state-level income inequality is inversely associated with policy liberalism and life expectancy. The association between income inequality and life expectancy was not mediated by policy liberalism but was moderated by it. The association is attenuated in states with more liberal policy contexts, supporting the neo-materialist perspective. This finding illustrates how states like New York and California (with liberal policy contexts) can exhibit high income inequality high life expectancy.
关于收入不平等与预期寿命之间关系的研究常常推测政策的作用，但直接的实证研究有限。基于新唯物主义视角，我们考察了美国各州（2000 - 2014年）收入不平等与预期寿命之间的纵向关联是否通过政策自由主义得到中介和调节。政策更为自由的环境具有更大力监管经济、重新分配收入以及保护弱势群体的特点，而惩罚越轨社会行为的力度较小。我们发现，州层面的收入不平等与政策自由主义及预期寿命呈负相关。收入不平等与预期寿命之间的关联并非通过政策自由主义得到中介作用，但受到其调节作用影响。在政策环境更为自由的州，这种关联减弱，这支持了新唯物主义视角。这一发现说明了纽约和加利福尼亚等州（政策环境自由）如何能够呈现出高收入不平等与高预期寿命并存的情况。
