Socioeconomic status and health: The potential role of
suboptimal physical environments
This summary was prepared by Gary W. Evans and Elyse Kantrowitz of
Cornell University in collaboration with the Social Environment working
group. It was most recently revised in September, 2001.
Table of Contents
a. Introduction
b. Socioeconomic status and environmental quality
c. Environmental quality and health
d. Conclusions
e. References
Introduction
Satisfactory explanation for the ubiquitous socioeconomic status-health
gradient remains elusive suggesting, in part, that an adequate model of
this relation is probably complex and multifaceted. In this chapter we
provide an overview of data indicating that income is inversely correlated
with exposure to suboptimal environmental conditions. By environmental
conditions we mean the physical properties of the ambient and
immediate surroundings of children, youth, and families including
pollutants, toxins, noise, crowding as well as exposure to settings such
as neighborhoods, housing, schools and work environments. We will
also briefly cite evidence that each of these environmental factors, in
turn, is linked to health. Health is defined in its broadest terms to
encompass physical and psychological well being. We also note where
there are relevant psychosocial processes known to be directly linked to
health. For example some physical environmental conditions affect
helplessness and individual beliefs about self-efficacy. These
psychological processes are well identified precursors to psychological ill
health.
It is important to state clearly at the outset that the implicit conceptual
model under discussion is as follows:
SES
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
HEALTH
Figure 1. Basic underlying conceptual model.
As can be seen above, what we will discuss is evidence for two
necessary prerequisites for this model to be valid--namely that SES is
associated with environmental quality and, in turn, that environmental
quality affects health. This is not equ