Political Determinants of Population Health
Visit Article
There is growing awareness of the association of highly racialized political discourse with health behaviors and, ultimately, health outcomes. In this context, the study by Gemmill and colleagues finding a significant increase in preterm births among Latina women following the 2016 US presidential election adds novel information to our understanding of the health impact of political events. Using a conservative interrupted time series analysis, they reported that there were 3.2% to 3.6% more preterm infants born to Latina women after the presidential election than the number expected if the election had not occurred.