Poverty and Child Health
The two articles referenced below are illustrative of the research on the relationship and effect of poverty on children’s health. Low income (socioeconomic status) is related to poor health for children. Also, this poor health will have future consequences on the economic status and health of the next generation. We need to address this issue (POOR HEALTH IN CHILDREN) to address the problems of poverty.
In the article “Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise: Socioeconomic Status, Poor Health in Childhood, and Human Capital Development”, Janet Currie surveys the literature focusing on two questions: Do parental circumstances affect child health at early ages? And does child health matter for future educational and labor market outcomes? The literature clearly answers both questions YES!
Currie concludes that available evidence suggests that fetal health may be particularly important, and hence that protecting the health of mothers may be one of the most effective ways to improve child health. Moreover, equalizing access to health care is not sufficient to eliminate gaps in health. We need to understand more about the reasons why poor children suffer a higher incidence of negative health events, even in utero, so that we can do more to prevent them.
The article by Barbara White, “Poverty, Children’s Health, and Health Care Utilization”, referenced below, reports that poverty and poor health status are closely linked, and the problem has increased since 1990 with the decline in insurance coverage. If we provide equal insurance coverage, inequalities in access to health care will be reduced but not eliminated.
Other factors that disadvantage poor children remain. These include the low availability of providers, difficulties making copayments, cost of travel to providers, and lost earnings.
The reasonable goal of equal access to health care requires not only providing insurance coverage, but also addressing the other problems associated with poverty.
“Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise: Socioeconomic Status, Poor Health in Childhood, and Human Capital Development,” By Janet Currie, Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. XLVII (March 2009)116 p. 87-122.
“Poverty, Children’s Health, and Health Care Utilization,” by Barbara White, FRBNY Economic Policy Review, September 1999. Pp. 9 – 21.