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Published in: Journal of Religion and Health 5/2020

01-10-2020 | Coronavirus | Original Paper

The Blood of Christ Compels Them: State Religiosity and State Population Mobility During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

Authors: Terrence D. Hill, Kelsey Gonzalez, Amy M. Burdette

Published in: Journal of Religion and Health | Issue 5/2020

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Abstract

This paper examines the association between state religiosity and population mobility during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We use first-party geo-behavioral data collected through mobile phone operating systems, global positioning systems, and Wi-Fi signals to assess changes in the average median distance traveled by approximately 15,000,000 devices over eight weeks (February 24–April 13) in the contiguous United States. Robust regression results show that more religious states tend to exhibit higher average mobility scores and slower average declines in mobility. Findings also suggest that state stay-at-home orders have a weaker impact on mobility in more religious states.
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Metadata
Title
The Blood of Christ Compels Them: State Religiosity and State Population Mobility During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
Authors
Terrence D. Hill
Kelsey Gonzalez
Amy M. Burdette
Publication date
01-10-2020
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Religion and Health / Issue 5/2020
Print ISSN: 0022-4197
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6571
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-020-01058-9

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