About the Study

How to Use the Dataset

  1. Select the town or topic you wish to learn more about, or browse the entire dataset.
  2. Filter the dataset by different characteristics or features.
  3. Download the entire dataset by selecting the link underneath the table.
  4. View and download maps provided for each topic or characteristic.

The Rhode Island Life Expectancy Project Methodology

The purpose of this study was to determine which small area factors are predictive of LE in Rhode Island cities and towns. We obtained an array of established social determinants of health from the latest (2010) US Census and American Community Survey and related data on environmental factors, occupational factors, and other sociodemographic characteristics from other sources to create a large database of determinants. These include, but are not limited to, education, income, poverty, green space, health care availability, etc.

Data Sources

  • Rhode Island Department of Health
  • US Decennial Census, US Census Bureau
  • 2013 American Community Survey, US Census Bureau
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • RI DataHUB
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics

Disclaimers

*Most data sources are from 2010-2015 to reflect the mortality data used to calculate life expectancy and related mortality measures (2009-2011).

*Life expectancy calculations in small areas such as cities and towns may be subject to systematic and random errors due to small sample sizes. Substitution methods (state age-specific rates) were used to compensate for the effect of zero death counts in cells.

*All data are publicly available, with the exception of the raw death counts used in the calculation of life expectancy and age-standardized mortality rates.

The Team

Steven A. Cohen

Steven A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Studies at the University of Rhode Island. He is the principal investigator of the Rhode Island Life Expectancy Project. He is a social epidemiologist and applied public health demographer, studying the impacts of aging on health and health care delivery.

Molly Greaney

Molly Greaney, PhD. MPH, is Chair and an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Studies at the University of Rhode Island. Her research efforts are focused on identifying personal, social, and environmental factors associated with physical activity and other healthful behaviors in diverse populations across the life span.

Julia Broccoli

Julia Broccoli is a research assistant and is a recent graduate of the University of Rhode Island, majoring in Health Studies. She is passionate about improving healthcare quality and population health, and reducing health disparities. She has internship experience in a variety of healthcare settings.

Catherine Lenox

Catherine Lenox, a Rhode Island resident, is an undergraduate student at URI. She will be graduating in 2021 with B.S. in Health Studies and a B.A. in German.