Via Bridging the Income Gap (http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/gap/2006/10/rich_neighbours.html)

Scientific American:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=A067CE2C-E7F2-99DF-3F656E275FE703CB

"The researchers cite two possible explanations: Economically, those of modest means living in a well-off neighborhood may have less to spend on health care and nutritious food after paying rent or property taxes. "You might be right next door to a pharmacy but not have money for medications," Winkleby observes. Poorer residents may also be missing out on free social services found in low income neighborhoods. Psychologically, perceiving a discrepancy in social status can cause stress that may affect health, the researchers note. "The people in well-to-do neighborhoods should recognize that there's a population that may be high risk and sort of hidden," Winkleby says.

"It's clearly a more powerful analysis than what has been done previously," says epidemiologist Paul Veugelers of the University of Alberta. "It's pretty strong." The effect is less pronounced in Canada, which has a bigger public health system, he notes, suggesting that financial access to health care indeed contributes to the death rate of low-income people living in better-off areas. Finding the precise risk factors will require looking at changes in health prior to death, he adds. "


I could swear I saw a study fairly recently (last 6 months?) that contradicted this -- it showed there was a *positive* effect on health for poor people living in non-poor neighbourhoods.  Of course, I can't find the article now, but if it rings a bell for anyone I'd be curious to see it again.


Robyn Kalda
Health Promotion Information Specialist
OPC Health Promotion Resource Centre
(416) 408-2249 x2226 
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