Political Belief Deepens the US Health Divide
A longitudinal Add Health study finds conservatives in midlife experience worsening health and higher mortality than liberals since the 2010s, due to both demographic shifts and a politics‑driven decline in trust in and engagement with medical care. By 2020–2022, internal (disease‑related) deaths rise more among conservatives. A post‑COVID survey shows right‑leaning individuals are less likely to visit primary care, mistrust physicians, and doubt medications, suggesting a politicized health‑behavior gap that persists beyond COVID‑19 and is not fully explained by demographics or policy.
