Relative Deprivation, Inequality, and Mortality

Relative Deprivation, Inequality, and Mortality

Author: Angus Deaton

Publisher:

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 60

ISBN-13:

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I present a model of mortality and income that integrates the 'gradient, ' the negative relationship between income and mortality, with the Wilkinson hypothesis, that income inequality poses a risk to health. Individual health is negatively affected by relative deprivation within a reference group, defined as the ratio to group mean income of the total 'weight' of incomes of group members better-off than the individual. I argue that such a model is consistent with what we know about the way in which social status affects health, based on both animal and human models. The theory predicts: (a) within reference groups, which may be as large as whole populations, mortality declines with income, but at a decreasing rate; the mortality to income relationship is monotone decreasing and convex. (b) If the upper tail of the income distribution is Pareto then, among the rich, there will be a negative liriear relationship between the logarithm of the probability of death and the logarithm of income, whose slope is larger the larger is Pareto's constant, itself often interpreted as a measure of equality. (c) A mean-preserving increase in the spread of incomes raises the risk of mortality for everyone. Between reference groups (e.g. states or countries) mortality is independent of the level of average income, but depends on the gini coefficient of income inequality, as does actual aggregate mortality across US states. Individual data from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study show that the relative deprivation theory provides a good account of the mortality gradient within states, but actually fails to account for interstate correlation between mortality and income inequality. Further analysis of the aggregate data shows that the effect of income inequality is not robust to the inclusion of other controls, particularly the fraction of blacks in the population. The fraction black is positively associated with white (male) mortality in both the individual and aggregate data and, once the fraction black is controlled for, there is no effect of income inequality on either male or female mortality. No explanation is offered for why white mortality should be higher in states with a higher proportion of blacks in the population.


Book Synopsis Relative Deprivation, Inequality, and Mortality by : Angus Deaton

Download or read book Relative Deprivation, Inequality, and Mortality written by Angus Deaton and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I present a model of mortality and income that integrates the 'gradient, ' the negative relationship between income and mortality, with the Wilkinson hypothesis, that income inequality poses a risk to health. Individual health is negatively affected by relative deprivation within a reference group, defined as the ratio to group mean income of the total 'weight' of incomes of group members better-off than the individual. I argue that such a model is consistent with what we know about the way in which social status affects health, based on both animal and human models. The theory predicts: (a) within reference groups, which may be as large as whole populations, mortality declines with income, but at a decreasing rate; the mortality to income relationship is monotone decreasing and convex. (b) If the upper tail of the income distribution is Pareto then, among the rich, there will be a negative liriear relationship between the logarithm of the probability of death and the logarithm of income, whose slope is larger the larger is Pareto's constant, itself often interpreted as a measure of equality. (c) A mean-preserving increase in the spread of incomes raises the risk of mortality for everyone. Between reference groups (e.g. states or countries) mortality is independent of the level of average income, but depends on the gini coefficient of income inequality, as does actual aggregate mortality across US states. Individual data from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study show that the relative deprivation theory provides a good account of the mortality gradient within states, but actually fails to account for interstate correlation between mortality and income inequality. Further analysis of the aggregate data shows that the effect of income inequality is not robust to the inclusion of other controls, particularly the fraction of blacks in the population. The fraction black is positively associated with white (male) mortality in both the individual and aggregate data and, once the fraction black is controlled for, there is no effect of income inequality on either male or female mortality. No explanation is offered for why white mortality should be higher in states with a higher proportion of blacks in the population.


Health and the Income Inequality Hypothesis

Health and the Income Inequality Hypothesis

Author: Nick Eberstadt

Publisher: American Enterprise Institute

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 60

ISBN-13: 9780844771694

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Few would take exception to the proposition that an improvement in the material well-being of the poor would enhance not only their living standards but their health as well. A number of influential recent studies, however, purport to show that inequality in income -- not poverty per se -- is bad for people's health. This "inequality hypothesis" is meant to apply to everyone, regardless of wealth or social standing, and predicts that the risk of illness depends upon whether one lives in a society that is stratified or egalitarian. Thus, according to this hypothesis, while the poor may suffer the most from inequality, the better off and even the rich suffer as well. The enthusiasm many researchers and observers feel for this theory goes well beyond what might be justified by the evidence. The inequality hypothesis too often relies upon limited or unrepresentative data, hazily expounded causality, elementary econometric fallacies, and results that cannot be replicated. A very persuasive (although less publicly heralded) body of scholarship that challenges the inequality hypothesis is currently emerging. For example, by controlling for relevant variables -- such as household income, maternal characteristics, education, and race -- the relationship between income inequality and the health of infants and adults diminishes or disappears completely. This strongly suggests that income distribution is far less powerful a determinant of population health than the inequality hypothesis holds. Book jacket.


Book Synopsis Health and the Income Inequality Hypothesis by : Nick Eberstadt

Download or read book Health and the Income Inequality Hypothesis written by Nick Eberstadt and published by American Enterprise Institute. This book was released on 2004 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few would take exception to the proposition that an improvement in the material well-being of the poor would enhance not only their living standards but their health as well. A number of influential recent studies, however, purport to show that inequality in income -- not poverty per se -- is bad for people's health. This "inequality hypothesis" is meant to apply to everyone, regardless of wealth or social standing, and predicts that the risk of illness depends upon whether one lives in a society that is stratified or egalitarian. Thus, according to this hypothesis, while the poor may suffer the most from inequality, the better off and even the rich suffer as well. The enthusiasm many researchers and observers feel for this theory goes well beyond what might be justified by the evidence. The inequality hypothesis too often relies upon limited or unrepresentative data, hazily expounded causality, elementary econometric fallacies, and results that cannot be replicated. A very persuasive (although less publicly heralded) body of scholarship that challenges the inequality hypothesis is currently emerging. For example, by controlling for relevant variables -- such as household income, maternal characteristics, education, and race -- the relationship between income inequality and the health of infants and adults diminishes or disappears completely. This strongly suggests that income distribution is far less powerful a determinant of population health than the inequality hypothesis holds. Book jacket.


Health, Inequality, and Economic Development

Health, Inequality, and Economic Development

Author: Angus Deaton

Publisher:

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 92

ISBN-13:

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I explore the connection between income inequality and health in both poor and rich countries. I discuss a range of mechanisms, including nonlinear income effects, credit restrictions, nutritional traps, public goods provision, and relative deprivation. I review the evidence on the effects of income inequality on the rate of decline of mortality over time, on geographical pattens of mortality, and on individual-level mortality. Much of the literature needs to be treated skeptically, if only because of the low quality of much of the data on income inequality. Although there are many puzzles that remain, I conclude that there is no direct link from income inequality to ill-health; individuals are no more likely to die if they live in more unequal places. The raw correlations that are sometimes found are likely the result of factors other than income inequality, some of which are intimately linked to broader notions of inequality and unfairness. That income inequality itself is not a health risk does not deny the importance for health of other inequalities, nor of the social environment. Whether income redistribution can improve population health does not depend on a direct effect of income inequality and remains an open question.


Book Synopsis Health, Inequality, and Economic Development by : Angus Deaton

Download or read book Health, Inequality, and Economic Development written by Angus Deaton and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I explore the connection between income inequality and health in both poor and rich countries. I discuss a range of mechanisms, including nonlinear income effects, credit restrictions, nutritional traps, public goods provision, and relative deprivation. I review the evidence on the effects of income inequality on the rate of decline of mortality over time, on geographical pattens of mortality, and on individual-level mortality. Much of the literature needs to be treated skeptically, if only because of the low quality of much of the data on income inequality. Although there are many puzzles that remain, I conclude that there is no direct link from income inequality to ill-health; individuals are no more likely to die if they live in more unequal places. The raw correlations that are sometimes found are likely the result of factors other than income inequality, some of which are intimately linked to broader notions of inequality and unfairness. That income inequality itself is not a health risk does not deny the importance for health of other inequalities, nor of the social environment. Whether income redistribution can improve population health does not depend on a direct effect of income inequality and remains an open question.


Communities in Action

Communities in Action

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2017-04-27

Total Pages: 583

ISBN-13: 0309452961

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In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.


Book Synopsis Communities in Action by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Communities in Action written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-04-27 with total page 583 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.


Resources and Relative Deprivation

Resources and Relative Deprivation

Author: Monica Aberg Yngwe

Publisher:

Published: 2005-11

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 9789122021094

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Book Synopsis Resources and Relative Deprivation by : Monica Aberg Yngwe

Download or read book Resources and Relative Deprivation written by Monica Aberg Yngwe and published by . This book was released on 2005-11 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


High and Rising Mortality Rates Among Working-Age Adults

High and Rising Mortality Rates Among Working-Age Adults

Author: National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine

Publisher:

Published: 2021-12-02

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780309684736

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Book Synopsis High and Rising Mortality Rates Among Working-Age Adults by : National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine

Download or read book High and Rising Mortality Rates Among Working-Age Adults written by National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine and published by . This book was released on 2021-12-02 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


The Health Gap

The Health Gap

Author: Michael Marmot

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2015-09-10

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 1408857987

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'Punchily written ... He leaves the reader with a sense of the gross injustice of a world where health outcomes are so unevenly distributed' Times Literary Supplement 'Splendid and necessary' Henry Marsh, author of Do No Harm, New Statesman There are dramatic differences in health between countries and within countries. But this is not a simple matter of rich and poor. A poor man in Glasgow is rich compared to the average Indian, but the Glaswegian's life expectancy is 8 years shorter. The Indian is dying of infectious disease linked to his poverty; the Glaswegian of violent death, suicide, heart disease linked to a rich country's version of disadvantage. In all countries, people at relative social disadvantage suffer health disadvantage, dramatically so. Within countries, the higher the social status of individuals the better is their health. These health inequalities defy usual explanations. Conventional approaches to improving health have emphasised access to technical solutions – improved medical care, sanitation, and control of disease vectors; or behaviours – smoking, drinking – obesity, linked to diabetes, heart disease and cancer. These approaches only go so far. Creating the conditions for people to lead flourishing lives, and thus empowering individuals and communities, is key to reduction of health inequalities. In addition to the scale of material success, your position in the social hierarchy also directly affects your health, the higher you are on the social scale, the longer you will live and the better your health will be. As people change rank, so their health risk changes. What makes these health inequalities unjust is that evidence from round the world shows we know what to do to make them smaller. This new evidence is compelling. It has the potential to change radically the way we think about health, and indeed society.


Book Synopsis The Health Gap by : Michael Marmot

Download or read book The Health Gap written by Michael Marmot and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-09-10 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Punchily written ... He leaves the reader with a sense of the gross injustice of a world where health outcomes are so unevenly distributed' Times Literary Supplement 'Splendid and necessary' Henry Marsh, author of Do No Harm, New Statesman There are dramatic differences in health between countries and within countries. But this is not a simple matter of rich and poor. A poor man in Glasgow is rich compared to the average Indian, but the Glaswegian's life expectancy is 8 years shorter. The Indian is dying of infectious disease linked to his poverty; the Glaswegian of violent death, suicide, heart disease linked to a rich country's version of disadvantage. In all countries, people at relative social disadvantage suffer health disadvantage, dramatically so. Within countries, the higher the social status of individuals the better is their health. These health inequalities defy usual explanations. Conventional approaches to improving health have emphasised access to technical solutions – improved medical care, sanitation, and control of disease vectors; or behaviours – smoking, drinking – obesity, linked to diabetes, heart disease and cancer. These approaches only go so far. Creating the conditions for people to lead flourishing lives, and thus empowering individuals and communities, is key to reduction of health inequalities. In addition to the scale of material success, your position in the social hierarchy also directly affects your health, the higher you are on the social scale, the longer you will live and the better your health will be. As people change rank, so their health risk changes. What makes these health inequalities unjust is that evidence from round the world shows we know what to do to make them smaller. This new evidence is compelling. It has the potential to change radically the way we think about health, and indeed society.


Demography of Aging

Demography of Aging

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1994-02-01

Total Pages: 424

ISBN-13: 0309050855

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As the United States and the rest of the world face the unprecedented challenge of aging populations, this volume draws together for the first time state-of-the-art work from the emerging field of the demography of aging. The nine chapters, written by experts from a variety of disciplines, highlight data sources and research approaches, results, and proposed strategies on a topic with major policy implications for labor forces, economic well-being, health care, and the need for social and family supports.


Book Synopsis Demography of Aging by : National Research Council

Download or read book Demography of Aging written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1994-02-01 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the United States and the rest of the world face the unprecedented challenge of aging populations, this volume draws together for the first time state-of-the-art work from the emerging field of the demography of aging. The nine chapters, written by experts from a variety of disciplines, highlight data sources and research approaches, results, and proposed strategies on a topic with major policy implications for labor forces, economic well-being, health care, and the need for social and family supports.


Absolute and Relative Deprivation and the Measurement of Poverty

Absolute and Relative Deprivation and the Measurement of Poverty

Author: Jean-Yves Duclos

Publisher:

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 24

ISBN-13: 9780733406034

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Book Synopsis Absolute and Relative Deprivation and the Measurement of Poverty by : Jean-Yves Duclos

Download or read book Absolute and Relative Deprivation and the Measurement of Poverty written by Jean-Yves Duclos and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Relative Deprivation

Relative Deprivation

Author: Iain Walker

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 402

ISBN-13: 9780521801324

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This book, first published in 2001, features integrative theoretical and empirical work from social psychology, sociology, and psychology.


Book Synopsis Relative Deprivation by : Iain Walker

Download or read book Relative Deprivation written by Iain Walker and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book, first published in 2001, features integrative theoretical and empirical work from social psychology, sociology, and psychology.