The richest 1% of Americans live 14.6 years longer, on
average, than those with the lowest 1% of incomes and that gap
is growing. While this disparity is well-known, the reasons are not
well-understood. The Health Inequality
Project is working to change that. Publishing
their results in JAMA, researchers from across academia joined forces to
map income disparities in life expectancy finding wide variation across the
US. Rich Americans’ life expectancy is
growing regardless of where they live, but gains and losses for poor Americans
vary considerably by geography. Some large cities are making good progress
extending the lives of the poor. New York City leads the nation with the
highest life expectancy for low-income 40 year-olds. However in other regions,
poor residents have lifespans closer to very poor countries and are losing
ground. Connecticut is in the middle of the pack. Improvements correlate with
reducing health risks such as smoking and obesity, and with local circumstances
such as public health programs and education. The
authors argue that health equity efforts need to happen at the local level
as well as nationally.
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Bottom income quartile life expectancy, CT counties
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County
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Life expectancy at age 40
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All
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Men
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Women
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22
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Fairfield
|
80.9
|
78.7
|
83.2
|
|
50
|
Hartford
|
79.8
|
77.0
|
82.5
|
|
52
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New Haven
|
79.6
|
77.0
|
82.3
|
