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Health Disparities & Social Determinants

The Social Gradient of Health

Health is not equally distributed. In the United States, the richest 1 percent of men live 14.6 years longer than the poorest 1 percent; for women, the gap is 10.1 years. This gradient is not simply about access to healthcare — it follows the entire social hierarchy. The Whitehall Studies of British civil servants found that each step down the occupational ladder corresponded to higher rates of heart disease, even though all participants had access to the same national health service. Social determinants of health — income, education, housing, neighborhood safety, job security, and social connection — explain more variation in health outcomes than medical care alone.

Health Disparities & Social Determinants

The Social Gradient of Health

Health is not equally distributed. In the United States, the richest 1 percent of men live 14.6 years longer than the poorest 1 percent; for women, the gap is 10.1 years. This gradient is not simply about access to healthcare — it follows the entire social hierarchy. The Whitehall Studies of British civil servants found that each step down the occupational ladder corresponded to higher rates of heart disease, even though all participants had access to the same national health service. Social determinants of health — income, education, housing, neighborhood safety, job security, and social connection — explain more variation in health outcomes than medical care alone.