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What is the impact of income on health?
Income security means having enough money to afford the essentials of life—food, housing, clothing, education— and all the other things we need to ensure we stay healthy. There is strong evidence that a higher income and social status are linked to better health.
How is income related to health promotion?
Income is one of the most important determinants of health In-depth knowledge of how unequal distribution of income leads to health inequities can help health promoters advocate for the development of policies and social programs that promote health equity.
Learning about the impact of income security on the health of vulnerable populations can ensure that health promoters develop appropriate and effective interventions.
How does income impact health?
Studies suggest two main connections between income and health:
 People with very low levels of income do not have enough money to purchase the essentials of life.
People with relatively lower levels of income have fewer opportunities to exercise control over their lives.
What is an example?
Low income is connected to chronic diseases
Chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke and lung disease are the leading causes of preventable death and disability in Canada. Low-income groups such as Aboriginal Peoples, visible minorities, and single mothers and their children are at a higher risk for chronic disease than the rest of the population.
A growing body of research suggests that the risk factors for these diseases can be reduced by following a healthy lifestyle. However in low-income populations, underlying social and economic factors can make it difficult to make lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, eating healthier food and increasing physical activity. People with lower income security tend to have less personal control about where they live, what they eat, and how they work and relax.
Income gap is growing
The income gap between Canada’s richest and poorest people is growing, and is now at its highest point in the last 30 years. In 2004, the richest 10% of Canadian families had average incomes that were 82 times higher than the incomes of the poorest 10%.
Health promoters must work to develop new ways to address the negative health effects experienced by lower income communities, while communicating to the broader population how policies to distribute wealth more equitably will result in improved levels of health for all.
Where can you go for more information?
 Health Nexus Learning Resources
Primer to Action: Social Determinants of Healthby Health Nexus and Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance, 2008 (Guide)
Social Determinants of Health (Slides)
Poverty and Health Series – Ontario Medical Association, 2008
Growing Gap Updates
Why a growing income gap affects us all
Social Determinants of Health and Nursing: A Summary of the Issues. Canadian Nurses Association, 2005
WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health - final report (2009) Canadian Best Practices Portal
Books:
Social Determinants of Health, by Michael Marmot (Editor) and Richard G. Wilkinson (Editor), Oxford Press, Second Edition, 2006 (book)
Social Determinants of Health: Canadian Perspectives, by Dennis Raphael (Editor), Canadian Scholars’ Press Inc., Second Edition, 2008 (book)
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