How Does Poverty Impact Health?
For every decrease in income level or socioeconomic status (SES), there is an accompanying worsening of health. The lower the income level, the bigger the impact on childhood health and wellbeing that can linger throughout life.
While poverty and socioeconomic status have repeatedly and consistently been shown to affect health — and remain a public health priority — exactly how lower income can trigger disease remains poorly understood.
It is essential to understand the impact of poverty since it affects so many of us and as a matter of social justice. In Canada, Statistics Canada uses three different measures of poverty, including an income threshold known as the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO). Families that have an income below the LICO threshold spend a bigger portion of their income on necessities like food, rent, and clothing, than an average family would. For a family of four living in Montreal, the LICO is $36,504. In 2011, 13% of people in Montreal were living below the LICO. Across Canada, 12.9% of all Canadians report before-tax incomes lower than the LICO. This means more than 4 million Canadians are considered poor. This large number of poor people underscores the importance of better understanding how income and health are linked, so public policy interventions that work can be developed.
People in poverty or lower socioeconomic status (SES), those who make less money or have fewer years of education, are at greater risk of developing health problems. This finding is seen in both adults and children. The exact link between SES and the development of health problems is unclear, but several factors are known to contribute. Children raised in poorer families are more likely to be exposed to stressful and hostile situations, develop poor eating habits, smoke, engage in less physical activity, have more sedentary behaviors, and have poorer sleep. These children from lower SES backgrounds more likely to be overweight or obese and suffer from higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
These health problems during childhood follow them into adolescence and young adulthood. Being poor as a child is known to predict worse health as an adult. Researchers do not have a clear understanding of when or for how long being poor during childhood can affect later health. They are working to better learn how being poor "gets under the skin" to affect health.
While poverty and socioeconomic status have repeatedly and consistently been shown to affect health — and remain a public health priority — exactly how lower income can trigger disease remains poorly understood.
It is essential to understand the impact of poverty since it affects so many of us and as a matter of social justice. In Canada, Statistics Canada uses three different measures of poverty, including an income threshold known as the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO). Families that have an income below the LICO threshold spend a bigger portion of their income on necessities like food, rent, and clothing, than an average family would. For a family of four living in Montreal, the LICO is $36,504. In 2011, 13% of people in Montreal were living below the LICO. Across Canada, 12.9% of all Canadians report before-tax incomes lower than the LICO. This means more than 4 million Canadians are considered poor. This large number of poor people underscores the importance of better understanding how income and health are linked, so public policy interventions that work can be developed.
People in poverty or lower socioeconomic status (SES), those who make less money or have fewer years of education, are at greater risk of developing health problems. This finding is seen in both adults and children. The exact link between SES and the development of health problems is unclear, but several factors are known to contribute. Children raised in poorer families are more likely to be exposed to stressful and hostile situations, develop poor eating habits, smoke, engage in less physical activity, have more sedentary behaviors, and have poorer sleep. These children from lower SES backgrounds more likely to be overweight or obese and suffer from higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
These health problems during childhood follow them into adolescence and young adulthood. Being poor as a child is known to predict worse health as an adult. Researchers do not have a clear understanding of when or for how long being poor during childhood can affect later health. They are working to better learn how being poor "gets under the skin" to affect health.
