Strong evidence linking income and health suggests that policies promoting economic equity may have broad health effects. Income influences health and longevity through various clinical, behavioral, social, and environmental mechanisms. Isolating the unique contribution of income to health can be difficult because this relationship intersects with many other social risk factors.
Poor health also contributes to reduced income, creating a negative feedback loop sometimes referred to as the health-poverty trap. Income inequality has grown substantially in recent decades, which may perpetuate or exacerbate health disparities.
Policy initiatives that supplement income and improve educational opportunities, housing prospects, and social mobility—particularly in childhood—can reduce poverty and lead to downstream health effects not only for low-income people but also for those in the middle class.
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