Family income affects children's health

Atlanta, October 9: Here’s one more reason to have loads of wealth. The health of the little ones in the family is dependent on the wealth that the family possesses, a new study finds.

A study conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in New Jersey revealed that families living near the federal poverty line have greater chances (as much as five times) to suffer ill health than their more affluent counterparts.

The study has found a positive correlation between infant mortality, children's health, and family income and education levels. The study ranked the states and the District of Columbia by children's health status and infant deaths. The researchers also examined the relation between a mother's educational standing and the mortality rate of infants.

Texas featured prominently amongst the top in terms of gap in health status when linked to family income. Nearly 44 percent of kids in poor families were in "less than optimal health" category vis-à-vis 7 percent of those kids in comparatively prosperous families.

California was a close second in terms of the gap with 41 percent of poor kids and 9 percent of well-off kids in not good health. On the other end of the spectrum, New Hampshire with the smallest gap with 13 percent of the kids in poor families placed in less than optimal health category as against 6 percent of kids from well-off families.

Dr. Paula Braveman, co-author of the report, said, "This report shows how much healthier kids in each state could be if we narrow the gap between the children of the wealthiest, most educated families and everyone else. The report spotlights poverty as a cause of ill health in kids, and downplays the role of health insurance."

She observed that children in poor and less-educated families usually have the worst health, but even children in middle-class families fare worse than those at the top.

Another aspect influencing children's health is the mother's education. The results of the study show that babies born to mothers who have at least 16 years of education have more chances of celebrating their first birthday than babies born to mothers who have not finished high school.

Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, hit the nail on the head when he said, "Babies born to households deficient in education and income are more likely to die in infancy and less likely to experience optimal health."