Socioeconomic status (SES) is commonly linked to a variety of disparities in health outcomes. Researchers in Canada considered a wide range of health conditions to see if this relationship persists into very old age. Using data from health administrative records in Winnipeg, Canada, and census data to derive SES, they determined that for most health conditions, an SES and health relationship exists.
The findings indicate that individuals living in the poorest neighborhoods have significantly higher odds of developing arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, and stroke. Findings were similar for individuals between ages 65 and 75 and those 75 or older.
Research such as this implies an inherent need to concentrate community health resources in areas where the resources to develop them are lacking. In the U.S., wealthier neighborhoods carry with them a built-in market for health services, and so high-quality health care organizations tend to cluster in or around these neighborhoods. At the individual level, however, healthy decisions pertaining to food choices and exercise are made more problematic by less means to purchase healthy food (and in some neighborhoods, the absence of healthy food choices) and less time required to exercise. Health interventions in these neighborhoods should focus on cultural and the work-related obstacles faced by low-income residents.
Source: Menec, V., Shahin, S., Nowicki, S., Fournier, S. 2010. Does the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic status and health outcomes persist into very old age? A population-based study. Journal of Aging and Health 22(1): 27-47.
