The Impact of Growing Income and Wealth Inequality on Health in the United States

Award Year: 1997	Investigator: Peter Arno	Budget: $218,247	Categories: Health Disparities, Poverty and Health
Abstract: Dr. Arno assesses the impact of growing income and wealth inequality on health in the U.S. He explores the mechanisms through which economic disparities affect health and identifies implications for public policy. Two approaches are used to model the relationship between income and health: an aggregate national time series model and a pooled, cross-sectional time series model using states as the level of analysis. Research questions include: 1) Does the relationship between income inequality and health affect certain diseases or age, sex, and ethnic/racial groups more than others? 2) Do these relationships hold for changes in the wealth distribution of the population? 3) What mechanisms explain the relationship between income and wealth inequality and health? 4) What are the public policy implications of an independent relationship between income and wealth inequality and health outcomes? Results should heighten public awareness of the health implications of economic disparity and encourage the inclusion of these neglected health effects in the policymaking process.