UCLA Study: Healthy, Less Stressed Adults More Likely To Vote

LOS ANGELES, CA — A recent study on voting patterns across California residents suggests there is a link between a person's overall health and their likeliness to vote. The UCLA Center for Health Policy and Research reported people in good health with little stress and better access to care are more likely to vote than people with physical or mental health issues.

The study claims 41% of adults in excellent or very good health reported that they always vote, compared to 37.4% of adults in good health and 32.7% in fair or poor health.

Less than 25% of people who reported psychological distress in the past year said they always vote.

Similar patterns were found between adults who felt safe in their neighborhood compared to those who felt unsafe. Meanwhile, 40% percent of people who had seen a doctor in the past year said they always voted, compared to only 28% who hadn't seen a doctor.

"We found differences in voting by health and neighborhood factors that suggest that people who vote are healthier, have better access to health care and live in more cohesive and safer neighborhoods than those who don't vote," said Susan Babey, the study's lead author and a senior research scientist at the center. "These differences in civic activities such as voting could contribute to policies that fail to meet the health needs of Californians who are less healthy, face barriers in access to health care and live in disadvantaged communities, which may in turn lead to greater inequities in health."

Joelle Wolstein, co-author of the study, suggested several methods to encourage people in disadvantaged communites to vote.

"We recommend a combination of strategies to increase participation in voting and other activities," Wolstein said. "These include providing civics education and preregistration opportunities in settings such as high schools and supporting integrated voter-engagement activities, both during and between elections, including get-out-the-vote efforts, education and issue advocacy."

City News Service and Kenan Draughorne contributed to this report.