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Economic Factors and Health Disparities

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Health Outcomes in a Foreign Land

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Abstract

Income is an important determinant of health, as individuals of low income status, particular minority groups such as African-Americans (AAs), have higher prevalence rates of morbidity and mortality than their European-American (EA) counterparts. This is because individuals of limited economic resources reside in neighborhoods with higher exposure to pollutants and toxic conditions that have adverse effects on their health. They also have limited access to good nutrition and medical care, both preventive and curative, or the information resources about health risk and health care patterns or how to alleviate environmental stresses. On the other hand, educational investments in formal schooling and graduate degree, as well as on-the-job training, are recognized as means to improve health outcomes.

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  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Howard University, Woodbridge, VA, USA

    Bernard Kwabi-Addo

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  1. Bernard Kwabi-Addo
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Correspondence to Bernard Kwabi-Addo .

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Kwabi-Addo, B. (2017). Economic Factors and Health Disparities. In: Health Outcomes in a Foreign Land . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55865-3_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55865-3_4

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-55864-6

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