Income inequality as a determinant of health

Abstract

This chapter begins by reviewing research evidence on the relationship between income and health at the individual level, and examines studies that have followed individuals through time to demonstrate the direction of the relationship. This is a fundamental starting point since the individual relationship between income and health likely underlies any analysis examining the connection between income inequality and population health. The chapter introduces research regarding this connection, and then compares the relationship between income inequality and health in jurisdictions within Canada and the United States, finding significant differences. It concludes with a series of hypotheses about why health outcomes in Canada and the United States are so different.