ABSTRACT

Fisher and Belle (1993) report mortality rates due to malignant melanoma of the skin for white males during the period 1950-1969, for each state on the US mainland. The data are given in Table 2.1 and include the number of deaths due to malignant melanoma in the corresponding state, the longitude and latitude of the geographic center of each state, and a binary variable indicating contiguity to an ocean, that is, if the state borders one of the oceans. Questions of interest about these data include: how do the mortality rates compare for ocean and non-ocean states and how are mortality rates affected by latitude and longitude?