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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 that we need to ensure we stay healthy. There is strong evidence that a higher income and social status is linked to better health.

Studies suggest two strong 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.

A greater sense of control contributes to health

People with greater income security tend to have more personal control about things like where they live, what they eat, and how they work and relax.

Recent studies show that a lack of this kind of control works biologically as well as socially in people's lives. People's bodies and immune systems weaken and become more vulnerable to stress and disease when they have little control and few options.

Low income connected to chronic disease

Chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke and lung disease are the leading causes of preventable death and disability in Canada. 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, including living smoke-free, eating a healthy diet and increasing physical activity. However, in low-income populations, underlying social and economic factors work against people's ability to follow a healthy lifestyle.

What about children who grow up poor?

There are striking examples of how income affects Canadian children's health and development. According to the Canadian Council on Social Development:
Children in low-income families are almost twice as likely to suffer from high levels of emotional problems as children whose family incomes are $30,000 or greater.
Over two thirds of children from high-income families are considered by their parents to be in excellent health. This compares with only about half of children in low-income families.
Children in low-income families are over two-and-a-half times more likely to have basic health problems that interfere with daily functioning than children from high-income families.

Levels of income insecurity affect our whole society

The health of our society is about more than the personal wealth of each individual. In fact, the gap between the richest and poorest in our society- known as the income gap- affects the entire population.

Studies show that the more equitable the distribution of wealth in a country - or the smaller the difference in income between rich and poor people - the healthier the population is.

Life expectancy is one indicator of a healthy population. For example, as Japan narrowed its income gap over the past 30 years, it moved from being a country with high infant death rates and low life expectancy, to having the lowest infant death rate and one of the highest life expectancies.

In 2002, Japan's infant death rate was three of every 1,000 infants under one year old . This is compared to almost five of every 1,000 infants in Canada.

In Canada, our income gap is growing. Over the last 30 years, the wealthiest 10% of households increased their level of income by more than half a million dollars, while the poorest 10% had a reduction in their net worth.

Although our government social programs and the income tax system have had some effect in reducing the widening income gap, more needs to be done to reduce major differences in income and ensuring that wealth is distributed equitably. All sectors of society and levels of government must share responsibility to put social programs into place that will make this happen.

Additional information

Public Health Agency of Canada - Population Health - What Determines Health?

Income Inequality as a Determinant of Health- Summary by Public Health Agency of Canada based on Canadian Council of Social Development papers and presentations

The Tides of Change: Addressing Inequity and Chronic Disease in Atlantic Canada
A Discussion Paper (2003), an Annotated Bibliography (2003), and a Tool Kit (2005).

Social Determinants of Health and Nursing: A Summary of the Issues. Canadian Nurses Association, 2005.

Social Determinants of Health - The Solid Facts, Second Edition, World Health Organisation report, 2003

Social Determinants of Health, by Michael Marmot (Editor) and Richard G. Wilkinson (Editor), Oxford Press, 1999 (book)

Social Determinants of Health: Canadian Perspectives, by Dennis Raphael (Editor), Canadian Scholars' Press Inc. 2001 (book)

Primer to Action: Social Determinants of Health

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