state names on hover would be helpful
That, or you could learn your US geography. :)
Imagine how lost you would be if it showed the 22 régions of Metropolitan France! :)
Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
21–30 of 99 posts
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#22Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#23I thought that this would be a time-trend display, like the one shared a while ago by another HN participant from Scientific American:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=longevity-w...
We've made significant progress against most causes of death, at all ages, since I was born.
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#24One interesting thing I learned from this is how highly correlated mortality from heart disease and cancer are. They're quite different types of disease, but perhaps what they have in common is that they're diseases of civilization in the sense of being caused by de facto "toxins" (I don't mean this literally) of industrialized life like processed foods, lack of exercise, cigarettes, etc. Is there local data about po…
I would love to do some overlays to put it in the context of other data. Something more granular would of course be nice too.
Hopefully I'll find more data sets that I can plug in.
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#25I thought that this would be a time-trend display, like the one shared a while ago by another HN participant from Scientific American: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=longevity-w... We've made significant progress against most causes of death, at all ages, since I was born.
Once I get that data I'll be all over. I definitely think this data (and something more granular) is particularly fascinating when considered over time.
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#26What would be behind the suicide strip just in from the West coast? Struggling farmers? (I'm not from the US, so not overly familiar with all the states and what they're known for.)
Availability of means to take one's life surely matters too in those states with higher suicide rates. The intermountain west is a place where everyone has access to firearms. In fact, I remember from a few months ago that there was a National Public Radio report about just that issue in connection with youth suicide in Wyoming.
http://www.npr.org/2013/03/19/174761612/a-turning-point-for-...
Most of the intermountain west is very arid, so rather than "farming" as that is usually understood, the occupation tends to be ranching (keeping cattle).
About the leading causes of death, they tend to correlate strongly with poverty, and it's not surprising to find high rates in poorer rather than richer states.
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#27One interesting thing I learned from this is how highly correlated mortality from heart disease and cancer are. They're quite different types of disease, but perhaps what they have in common is that they're diseases of civilization in the sense of being caused by de facto "toxins" (I don't mean this literally) of industrialized life like processed foods, lack of exercise, cigarettes, etc. Is there local data about po…
How would those look overlaid with poverty/education? Are poor eating habits and smoking significant factors in heart disease and cancer overall?
I didn't run the numbers but the correlation between poverty/education and cancer+heart disease seems relatively high. The mortality rates for those appear to be highest in the deep South, Appalachia and lower Midwest, which are some of the poorest and least-educated areas of the country.
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
Social isolation? Three of the bluest states are Ca, Ny, Il, with the biggest cities.
Could be. This suggests that farmers are concentrated in a central strip: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2012/0... The map top right here indicates correlation with population density, as you suggested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_populati... And the first map on this US history page suggests those areas were late to the state party. Would that have had a strong impact?…
Alaska and Nevada have some of the highest rates of suicide, but those areas are not suitable for farming. Another article posted earlier in this thread indicates population density isn't a factor, and the map seems to show that as well (Nebraska and Minnesota have low suicide rates and low density). Date of statehood is nothing more than a coincidence.
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#29What would be behind the suicide strip just in from the West coast? Struggling farmers? (I'm not from the US, so not overly familiar with all the states and what they're known for.)
Availability of means to take one's life surely matters too in those states with higher suicide rates. The intermountain west is a place where everyone has access to firearms. In fact, I remember from a few months ago that there was a National Public Radio report about just that issue in connection with youth suicide in Wyoming. http://www.npr.org/2013/03/19/174761612/a-turning-point-for-... Most of the intermountain…
Access to firearms may play some part, but the rates of death due to firearm injury is high in the South which has relatively low suicide rates.
Perhaps religious/cultural attitudes play a part? That wouldn't account for Utah though.
Re: Show HN: Mortality Rates in the US Visualized
#30The west virginia->smoking->nicotine->no parkinsons link seems apparent. High lung disease though.