The risk of dying for a rich American higher than for rich Europeans
A good economy goes hand in hand with good health. The richer you are, the longer you can be expected to live, compared to groups that have been worse off. This applies not least in the United States where the differences between poor and RIK are clearer than in Europe. Consequently, the richest Americans live much longer than their poorer countrymen.
On the other hand, the average life expectancy in many European countries is higher than in the United States. So how long can a rich American be expected to live compared to his European counterpart?
In an attempt to find out, researchers at Brown University School of Public Health in the United States have analyzed data from more than 73,000 people. More than 19,000 of them came from the United States, while the rest came from three different regions in Europe: Södra, Östra and northwestern Europe, which included 1,850 people from Sweden.
In 2010 were all Participants between 50 and 85 years old. Using data from various surveys – among other things Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement (Europe) and Health and Retirement Study (USA)- The participants were divided into four different income or wealth categories. Subsequently, the researchers calculated the proportion in each category that died during each of the next ten years.
The result, as is now reported in New England Journal of Medicineshows that regardless of country or region, a significantly higher proportion of the richest fourth was still in life ten years later, compared to the poorest. On average, the richest quarter had a 40 percent lower mortality during the follow -up period than the poorest.
But the analysis also shows that mortality for each individual income category in the United States was higher during the follow -up period than its European counterpart, even for the richest. Of the most well -situated Europeans, a larger proportion in life was ten years later, compared to the richest Americans. Instead, the mortality among these was more comparable to the mortality of the poorest in some countries in northwestern Europe, where in addition to Sweden, Austria, Belgium, France, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland were also included.
How is it?
According to the researchers The study is another example of what an unequal society does with human health, even those who have a good financial thing. The inequalities affect not only the poor, the researchers say, but also the rich because they – inevitably – are part of the community they live in. The rich also risks being affected by everything from firearm violence and drug abuse to bad food. According to the researchers, their results are a reminder of this.
Of course, the fact that the economy is important applies not only in the United States, but also other countries.
– The economy is very important for health in Sweden as well. In Stockholm, men with the maximum income live on average nine years longer compared to those with the lowest income. For women, the difference is five years, says Vicky Bartelink, who was project manager for the Public Health Report 2023 at the Center for Epidemiology and Social Medicine in the Stockholm Region.
Why is the economy so important?
– There are partly direct causes, such as being able to afford to buy good food, housing and collect their medicines, and partly indirect, such as that a bad economy can cause stress and that you cannot afford to participate in social activities. But since poorer health can also result in poor economy, we often use education as measures to compare differences in health. An education is more stable. We usually talk about education, finance and work as the three most important dimensions.
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