1. Income effects on health
Dr Angela Donkin

2. Estimated odds of reporting poor or very poor general health by socioeconomic characteristics, 25 EU Member States*, 2010
The independent effects of income are often questioned. The key issue is that the important aspect of income isn’t the level of income, but the sufficiency of income.
Source: Health inequalities in the EU

3. Why is having enough income important?
Resource effects – having enough money
to buy a healthy lifestyle
Stress effects – having enough money not to worry/
be in debt/have self esteem/
prioritse longer term health

4. Early years
Poorer women more likely to have low birthweight babies, significant link to
worse health in childhood and beyond.
Low income women more likely to suffer from poor mental health, linked to less
positive parenting, less secure attachment and poorer behaviour at school and beyond, lower
attainment.
Housing
Poor quality housing can lead to an increase in asthma (poor venitilation, cold homes)
Lack of income linked to inability to heat homes. Cold homes linked to higher rates of
cardio vascular disease and respiratory disease
Socio-economic gradient in fires
Lack of space and overcrowding – increase in infectious disease rates, -ve impact on mental wellbeing
Poor quality housing – poor mental health
more than one in four adolescents living in cold housing are at risk of multiple mental health problems,
compared with one in 20 adolescents who have always lived in warm housing.

5. Food
Nutrient rich foods often more expensive per 100 calories than calorie rich, low nutrient foods.
The lowest income group generally consumes less protein, less iron, fewer fruits and vegetables,
less vitamin C, less calcium, less fish, less oily fish and less folate.
At school
Low income children are more likely to be bullied.
Costs associated with:
Social inclusion
Exercise
Personal hygiene
Warm/appropriate clothing
Living near a good school
Dentistry
Extra curricular activities for children

6. C/D. Create fair employment and good work for all
and a minimum income for healthy living
Good
But increases in numbers of people with insufficient
income of concern

7. Data from Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Since the Marmot review the numbers of people not having enough money to afford a healthy life have increased. Depending on region, a quarter to a third of people do not have sufficient income, and many are severely deprived.
In 2014/15, 30% of all individuals in the UK were in households with incomes below MIS, just over 19 million individuals. 11 million of these have household incomes below 75% of MISo face a high risk of material
deprivation.
Having enough money to live in housing free from damp and overcrowding, to buy a healthy basket of food, and afford fuel and the basics to be able to engage with society is necessary for mental and physical health.
Since the Marmot review This will negatively impact the health and morale of that population.
The JRF figures have been recalculated to provide an estimate of all individuals rather than households.
For the first time this year, it also uses the proportion living below 75% of MIS as an indicator of poverty, based on the observation that a household at this level is around four times as likely to experience deprivation as a household with an income at or above MIS level.
While the numbers not reaching an acceptable standard of living have increased, the numbers in official poverty, as measured by percentage below 60% of median income have not. This is because median income has decreased and the cost of living has gone up.
Data from Joseph Rowntree Foundation