Dolores R. sent along an illustration of the nature of spurious relationships. A spurious relationship is one in which two variables appear to be related, but are in fact both caused by a third, “confounding” variable. Drawing on Andrew Sullivan’s map of passport ownership and data on Type 2 diabetes posted at the US News and World Report, Mark Frauenfelder at BoingBoing suggested, with tongue-in-cheek, that owning a passport prevents Type 2 diabetes. In fact, both are probably related to a third variable, class: having the money to travel also usually means having access to healthy foods and sufficient health insurance.
Comments 23
Dave — March 18, 2011
Sorry, do you mean 'class' or 'financial wealth'? I've always vaguely perceived that in the USA the two basically mean the same thing, but it's interesting to see it confirmed.
Anonymous — March 18, 2011
What about immigration? CA, NJ, and NY all have lots of passports -- I bet that has something to do w/ the high numbers of immigrants (1st, 2nd, and 3rd gen, naturalized and other) there.
Arielle — March 18, 2011
I'm sorry to be a broken record on this issue, but can the text please be changed to read Type 2 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is autoimmune and is not influenced by lifestyle factors. (For the record, I have both Type 1 diabetes and a passport. :) )
Mira — March 18, 2011
In the original article it says:
"The data do not distinguish between types of diabetes, but nationally more than 90 percent of diabetes cases are type 2, also called adult-onset diabetes."
So I think they included both types.
According to a twin study, Type 2 has a stronger genetic connection than Type 1. But it's become one of those diseases where people feel guilty for getting sick, because "common knowledge" says that it was all their fault.
Mira — March 18, 2011
Gah! I meant to put that last comment as a reply to Arielle's post. So sorry! :(
Anywho, another way to look at the map (other than by class/wealth) is to consider the genetics. Restricted travel also means a restricted gene pool. It's possible the south has higher rates of diabetes because the number of "carriers" has become condensed over time.
I do NOT mean that southerners are marrying siblings and cousins. I've lived in Georgia my entire life, and that stereotype is seriously obnoxious.
Roschelle — March 19, 2011
As a lifelong resident of the state with the most morbid and depressing stats, I can attest to the fact that socioeconomic condition and literacy are key to these results.
There is such a lack of understanding.... lack of motivation to change their condition.... APATHY!
Just the other day a comment on a blog I read (frequently) referred to Mississippi as a third world country.
Talk about a slap in the face. However, I realize this is the perception many have.....
Last Week I Loved… « Abby's Road — March 21, 2011
[...] Passports make you healthier! Let’s take a trip! [...]
Eric S Grigoriev-Razumovsky — July 13, 2017
WTF. Noooo.
"having the money to travel also usually means having access to healthy foods and sufficient health insurance" Before I became a citizen of USA I still had healthy foods and health insurance. it's all about what you plan for and what you eat that matters. This is like people who work at McDs are murders. its a fast food place that makes people fat and other by products that kill them. It was that person's choice to eat unhealthy.
Eric S Grigoriev-Razumovsky — July 13, 2017
Having a passport has nothing to do with diabetes. Get your facts PEASANT
la fontana — April 22, 2024
I've never considered la fontana della citta this perspective before.