A study of the effects of obesity and poor health on the relationship between distance to the polling station and the probability to vote

0511872 - SOÚ 2022 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Kudrnáč, Aleš
A study of the effects of obesity and poor health on the relationship between distance to the polling station and the probability to vote.
Party Politics. Roč. 27, č. 3 (2021), s. 540-551. ISSN 1354-0688. E-ISSN 1460-3683
R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36154G
Institutional support: RVO:68378025
Keywords : distance to polling station * health * obesity * voter turnout
OECD category: Political science
Impact factor: 2.526, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access
https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/RKKIZBIPMXURBFIGEKB2/full

This article explores the moderating effects of body obesity and subjective health status on the relationship between distance to the polling station and voter turnout in the Czech general election of 2017. Using insights from rational choice theory and the funnel model of turnout, multilevel logit models were used to examine whether the relationship between reported turnout and distance from home to the polling station was different for those who are obese and/or think they are in poor health. This study is based on analyses of the Czech Household Panel Survey data. The modelling results confirm that those who were obese and in poor health had a lower probability of voting as the distance to the polling station increased. Furthermore, this study found that being interested in the 2017 election outcome (instrumental motivation) did mitigate physiological limitations associated with getting to a polling station, however, thinking that voting is a civic duty (moral motivation) had no strong effect on the distance to the polls and turnout relationship.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0302459