Socioeconomic disparities in health in the united States: What the patterns tell us

P.A. Braveman, C. Cubbin, S. Egerter, D.R. Williams and E. Pamuk

American Journal of Public Health, 2010, vol. 100, issue S1, S186-S196

Abstract: Objectives. We aimed to describe socioeconomic disparities in the United States across multiple health indicators and socioeconomic groups. Methods. Using recent national data on 5 child (infant mortality, health status, activity limitation, healthy eating, sedentary adolescents) and 6 adult (life expectancy, health status, activity limitation, heart disease, diabetes, obesity) health indicators, we examined indicator rates across multiple income or education categories, overall and within racial/ethnic groups. Results. Those with the lowest income and who were least educated were consistently least healthy, but for most indicators, even groups with intermedi-ate income and education levels were less healthy than the wealthiest and most educated. Gradient patterns were seen often among non-Hispanic Blacks and Whites but less consistently among Hispanics. Conclusions. Health in the United States is often, though not invariably, patterned strongly along both socioeconomic and racial/ethnic lines, suggesting links between hierarchies of social advantage and health. Worse health among the most socially disadvantaged argues for policies prioritizing those groups, but pervasive gradient patterns also indicate a need to address a wider socioeco-nomic spectrum-which may help garner political support. Routine health reporting should examine socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparity patterns, jointly and separately.

Date: 2010
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2009.166082_5

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.166082

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