While health plays a role in developing one’s political ideology, the latter shapes one’s attitude towards health. 

The next time you feel drawn to a particular political ideology, consider checking your health. The connection between individual health and political ideology is fascinating. 

Data from studies show that the impact of political ideology on health behaviours in times of crisis is abundant and significant. More so “in situations where the possibility of severe illness or death is immediate and the potential societal impact is significant”. For example, during COVID-19, we saw how ideological, religious and cultural differences impacted people’s response to the pandemic. It influenced how people chose to seek medical treatment or receive vaccination.  

Interestingly, researchers find that individual health also dictates people’s political ideology. According to a 2022 study , healthy children are “more likely to express conservative ideology as older adults”. Further, children with excellent health were “13 percentage points” less likely to report having a liberal political ideology in adulthood. 

Health is partly heritable, while political ideology is developed through socialisation. Going by the above-mentioned study, political conservatism should mean healthier children in the country. Is the current resurgence of conservatism across the world thus an indication of improved childhood health?

There is another dimension to this issue: While health plays a role in developing one’s political ideology, the latter, in turn, shapes one’s attitude towards health.  For example, a 2023 survey found that the far-right political ideology was a factor in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in 21 European countries. The association was similar among the European countries, regardless of how stringent the public health measures were and magnitude of income inequality in each country.

But then, political ideologies can change. A far-right government can be replaced by a liberal government, or even a far-left one. Does health play a role in this?  Perhaps, that could be a subject for future research. Looking at health, typically a scientific subject, from an ideological lens can provide new insights. 

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