Voting is linked to living longer | Penn Today
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Archived: 2026-04-23 17:30
Voting is linked to living longer | Penn Today
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Femida Handy, a professor in the School of Social Policy & Practice.
(Image: Carson Easterly)
A new study co-authored by
Femida Handy
of the
School of Social Policy & Practice
finds that, among older adults, voting predicts a lower risk of mortality for up to 15 years.
Many studies have shown that other types of civic engagement, such as volunteering, are associated with health outcomes like lower rates of cardiovascular disease and better mental health, explains Handy. But none have looked at the specific impact of voting—arguably an altruistic act, as voters know their one vote will not change the outcome of a national election—on health.
In the study, published in the
Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Studies
, Handy and her co-author,
Sara Konrath
of Indiana University, tracked older adults who voted in the 2008 presidential election and those who did not and examined participants’ risk of dying over the next five, 10, and 15 years.
The researchers find that older adults who voted experienced a significantly reduced mortality risk, with those in poorer health benefiting more from voting 15 years later. These results are not explained by participants’ prior wealth, education, civic engagement, or political affiliation, says Handy. And even when their candidate lose, voters still have a lower risk of dying years later.
“We were surprised to find that people who voted either in person or remotely experienced these benefits. This suggests that voting itself is more important than the method of voting or even who they voted for,” says Handy. “The potential long-lasting benefits of voting as individuals age make this information crucial for promoting voter turnout, in line with the American Medical Association recommendations."
Femida Handy is a professor in the School of Social Policy & Practice.
Sara Konrath is an associate professor at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
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Deborah Stull
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Skip to Content
Skip to Content
News from
University of Pennsylvania
Try Advanced Search
View large image
Femida Handy, a professor in the School of Social Policy & Practice.
(Image: Carson Easterly)
A new study co-authored by
Femida Handy
of the
School of Social Policy & Practice
finds that, among older adults, voting predicts a lower risk of mortality for up to 15 years.
Many studies have shown that other types of civic engagement, such as volunteering, are associated with health outcomes like lower rates of cardiovascular disease and better mental health, explains Handy. But none have looked at the specific impact of voting—arguably an altruistic act, as voters know their one vote will not change the outcome of a national election—on health.
In the study, published in the
Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Studies
, Handy and her co-author,
Sara Konrath
of Indiana University, tracked older adults who voted in the 2008 presidential election and those who did not and examined participants’ risk of dying over the next five, 10, and 15 years.
The researchers find that older adults who voted experienced a significantly reduced mortality risk, with those in poorer health benefiting more from voting 15 years later. These results are not explained by participants’ prior wealth, education, civic engagement, or political affiliation, says Handy. And even when their candidate lose, voters still have a lower risk of dying years later.
“We were surprised to find that people who voted either in person or remotely experienced these benefits. This suggests that voting itself is more important than the method of voting or even who they voted for,” says Handy. “The potential long-lasting benefits of voting as individuals age make this information crucial for promoting voter turnout, in line with the American Medical Association recommendations."
Femida Handy is a professor in the School of Social Policy & Practice.
Sara Konrath is an associate professor at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Share this article
Threads
Credits
Writer
Deborah Stull
More from
School of Social Policy & Practice
Public Health
Medicine
Behavioral Health
Faculty
Research
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Health & Medicine
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Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell investigates the use of a lettuce-based, plant-encapsulated delivery platform as a new oral delivery of two GLP-1 drugs previously approved by the FDA in injectable form.
No brain, no gain: Neuronal activity enhances benefits of exercise
Image: Sciepro/Science Photo Library via Getty Images
Natural Sciences
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Research led by Penn neuroscientist J. Nicholas Betley and collaborators finds that hypothalamic neurons are essential for translating physical exertion into endurance, potentially opening the door to exercise-mimicking therapies.
Studying Shakespeare through the lens of love
In honor of Valentine's Day, and as a way of fostering community in her Shakespeare in Love course, Becky Friedman took her students to the University Club for lunch one class period. They talked about the movie "Shakespeare in Love," as part of a broader conversation on how Shakespeare's works are adapted.
nocred
Arts & Humanities
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In Becky Friedman’s English course Shakespeare in Love, undergraduate students analyze language, genre, and adaptation in the Bard’s plays through the lens of love.
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nocred
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Dorit Aviv, director of Weitzman’s Thermal Architecture Lab, studies how humans, technology, and design intersect, paving the way for the development of novel approaches to cooling people efficiently.