tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post4011702977821509463..comments2023-10-31T10:57:37.652+00:00Comments on Epiphenom: Why do more children die when Pentecostals are around?Epiphenomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05420404206189437710noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post-70880761397365643742011-07-28T21:47:03.777+01:002011-07-28T21:47:03.777+01:00Colenso, good point. Yes, the effect they found is...Colenso, good point. Yes, the effect they found is trivial in magnitude compared with the size of the problem that the US faces. So turnign everyone Catholic will not do much to reduce infant mortality.<br /><br />It would, however, be interesting to see how infant mortality varies across European regions according to dominant religion.Epiphenomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05420404206189437710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post-18721616370891175822011-07-28T21:45:21.906+01:002011-07-28T21:45:21.906+01:00Michael, quite possibly right. I don't know mu...Michael, quite possibly right. I don't know much about the Kids Count program, but reading the paper it's clear that their data is pretty patchy. However, assuming that's just noise, the analysis should hold.Epiphenomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05420404206189437710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post-7599082834612083902011-07-28T21:43:04.178+01:002011-07-28T21:43:04.178+01:00Hi Sabio, the way they did it was to count the num...Hi Sabio, the way they did it was to count the number of each church in each county separately, and relate it to child mortality. So to answer your question, they didn't explicitly look into whether the country had a mix or was more of a monoculture. In the discussion, the authors do actually point out that it would be interesting to look at religious 'fractionalisaion' to see if there was nay link.Epiphenomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05420404206189437710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post-9999737013415878622011-07-28T15:44:05.143+01:002011-07-28T15:44:05.143+01:00Tsk, meant to write:
Thus, per 100,000, in 2000 t...Tsk, meant to write:<br /><br />Thus, per 100,000, in 2000 the mean average US IMR was 689 infant deaths per 100,000.Colensonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post-51243895498304343282011-07-28T15:41:20.678+01:002011-07-28T15:41:20.678+01:00Sure, but do not forget to look at the variation w...Sure, but do not forget to look at the variation within the wider context. What context is that? Well, the global context.<br /><br />To quote from the study:<br /><br />"The United States presents a vexing dilemma with respect to infant mortality.<br /><br />Although the U.S. maintains a remarkably high per capita income, its IMRs are disproportionately elevated when compared with other developed nations in the West.<br /><br />The infant mortality paradox in the United States continues to generate concern among public health officials and policymakers, many of whom have called for immediate action to reduce the unusually high IMRs in the U.S.<br /><br />Rather alarmingly, the most recent efforts to reduce U.S. IMRs have yielded less than stellar results.<br /><br />As part of its Healthy People 2010 initiative, the U.S. had been aiming to reduce its IMR to 4.5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.<br /><br />However, most of the first decade of the twenty-first century came and went with little significant change in the U.S. infant mortality rate.<br /><br />The U.S. IMR was 6.89 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 and had dropped only slightly to 6.86 in 2005, and such stagnant results have not been observed since the 1950s.<br /><br />Quite tellingly, the U.S. has now revised its 2020 objectives to aim for an IMR of 6.0 per 1,000 live births."<br /><br />In the study, the best outcomes were for those counties with high numbers of Roman Catholic churches. But, using Model 2, the improvement was only -0.082. In other words, from 6.89 down to 6.81.<br /><br />Finally, I have always objected to infant mortality rates being expressed per 1000. They should be expressed per 100,000 to bring the data into line with most international population data, for example crime rates, including murder and rape.<br /><br />Thus, per 100,000, in 2000 the mean average US IMR was 689 infant deaths per 100,00. In Roman Catholic counties it dropped to 681 per 100,000.<br /><br />Still far higher than in the UK, in Australia, NZ or other English speaking countries in the OECD.<br /><br />Why?Colensonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post-79922154166345810932011-07-27T15:57:16.790+01:002011-07-27T15:57:16.790+01:00I was under the impression that a lot of the infan...I was under the impression that a lot of the infant mortality disparities had to do with how such "deaths" are defined and recorded, that what a US hospital considers a live birth (like a 4-month preemie with a heartbeat for a few minutes) is different in other systems. Is that not true?Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02271978062869510666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post-88319857291761778492011-07-26T10:33:36.515+01:002011-07-26T10:33:36.515+01:00Fascinating. But in the end, there is "specu...Fascinating. But in the end, there is "speculation" which I guess if food for the next person who wants to test it.<br /><br />Research question:<br />child pro: C= Catholic E= Evangelical <br />child neglect: M = Mainline P= Pentecostal <br />Now there are three areas:<br />North = 60% P, 20%C, 20% E, 10% M ==> ? P<br />South = 40%P, 25%C, 25%E, 10%M ==> ?P<br />East = 40% P, 30 % C, 30%E ==> ?P<br /><br />Just curious how the math is done since combinations/tensions and such might play a role.<br />ThanxSabio Lantzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12963476276106907984noreply@blogger.com