Posted: May 27, 2011 1:48 pm
Picking a single indicator and correlating it to group rather than individual life expectancy is problematic at the least.
In his work on epidemiology that arose from the White Hall Studies wiki article here Michael Marmot author of the Status Syndrome identified social gradient as a powerful predictor of life expectancy. abstract here.
Some of the predictors to group (rather than individual) life expectancy were noted to be educational level and social position (status) within society, people with post graduate degrees live longer than those with graduate degrees who live longer than under graduates etc, and senior managers having a longer life expectancy than middle managers and so on. Some of the more astounding links noted were that hollywood actors who had won Oscars (as a group) lived significantly longer than those just nominated, the degree of difference was similar to the life expectancy difference between smokers and non-smokers, so a significant difference indeed. These markers, Degree, Oscar etc seem to have no intrinsic value to group life expectancy, but rather suggest a number of other factors in process. Picking a single indicator, religion or no religion could be classed in the same category as Oscar no Oscar, perhaps what is being measured is something else. I doubt the accuracy of many of the 'religious people live longer' studies anyway as really indicating what they proclaim to. Likewise the 'gays live less long' studies, what is actually being measured is not at all clear.
In his work on epidemiology that arose from the White Hall Studies wiki article here Michael Marmot author of the Status Syndrome identified social gradient as a powerful predictor of life expectancy. abstract here.
Some of the predictors to group (rather than individual) life expectancy were noted to be educational level and social position (status) within society, people with post graduate degrees live longer than those with graduate degrees who live longer than under graduates etc, and senior managers having a longer life expectancy than middle managers and so on. Some of the more astounding links noted were that hollywood actors who had won Oscars (as a group) lived significantly longer than those just nominated, the degree of difference was similar to the life expectancy difference between smokers and non-smokers, so a significant difference indeed. These markers, Degree, Oscar etc seem to have no intrinsic value to group life expectancy, but rather suggest a number of other factors in process. Picking a single indicator, religion or no religion could be classed in the same category as Oscar no Oscar, perhaps what is being measured is something else. I doubt the accuracy of many of the 'religious people live longer' studies anyway as really indicating what they proclaim to. Likewise the 'gays live less long' studies, what is actually being measured is not at all clear.