Maybe money can’t buy you happiness, but can it buy you healthiness? While there is a definite link on an individual basis, it’s present on a global scale as well. Areas that generate more income tend to have a higher population of healthier people. For example, regions in Africa are not only in a health crisis, but they also have very little economic growth. Recent studies have been examining the link between a person’s monetary value and welfare.
Correlation vs. Causation
Although it’s easy to say “wealthy people are healthier,” the real question becomes whether this is because of correlation (healthier people tend to have more money) or causation (money literally makes you healthier because of some attribute)? This can be a tricky idea to parse out. A good example is drowning deaths and ice cream sales. While ice cream sales don’t rise because of drowning, they tend to be high at the same time—hot days, when people are at the beach.
Individual Health
The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that a Whitehall study in the 1960s showed people who of a higher socioeconomic rank were at a decreased risk of death. After taking out individual genetic factors, you have to wonder why people in a lower-tier positions are dying at a higher rate. Recent studies are searching for those more exact factors.
Medical Care
Healthcare factors play a role as well—if you’re a person of means, presumably you can afford better care, higher quality doctors, and surgeries insurance might not pay for. Additionally, more expensive health insurance is acquirable, which makes it easier to receive all of that without having to pay out of pocket. But that’s not the whole story.
Environmental Factors
People with a lower socioeconomic status tend to smoke more, likely because of high stress levels, creating an immediate additional risk factor for poor health. They tend to live in environments that are less healthy, and they don’t eat as well. A good diet plays a major role in keeping the body healthy; a balanced diet makes you less likely to get sick, protects your body against stress, and helps manage obesity, which is an additional contributing factor to poor health.
Group Factors
Unfortunately, you can’t take out individual genetic factors, either. Wealthier populations tend to be largely Caucasian, especially in the United States. Minority groups make up enormous portions of lower socioeconomic groups, often falling well under the poverty line. According to psychologist Richard Myers, discrimination can in itself be a cause of stress, both physically and biologically. Thus, according to the APA, perhaps “inequality itself contributes to health disparities.”
