The effects of income inequality on health

Abstract

Much of the discussion about individual and group differences in illness and life expectancy has focused on the effects of individual characteristics, both status and behavioural. This is also characteristic of much of the literature, which attempts to explain why men have higher rates of disease and lower life expectancy than women.After a period in which 'social policy was no longer such an important part of preventive health policy', there is now renewed interest in the influence of the socioeconomic environment on health. Indeed, recently compiled evidence indicates that increasing income inequality is likely to have adverse effects on the community's health. These findings highlight the potential dangers of policy changes which accelerate social and economic divisions.