Posted: April 29, 2016 Contributor: administrator
Income and Life Expectancy – How Are These Related?
While we have come leaps and bounds as a society over the years, you might be surprised to learn that life expectancy for cash-strapped women is still shorter than that of their wealthy peers.
Don’t believe it?
A new study published in the journal JAMA analyzed more than a billion pieces of social security and tax records from 2001 to 2014.
Not only is there a difference in life expectancy in the rich and the poor but the gap is getting even larger. According to a recap of the study in Women’s Health, the gap in the average lifespan of the wealthiest one percent of women in America and the poorest one percent has increased to 10.1 years!
While these stats are still mind-boggling, the reasons behind it make sense. Those who have money to buy things like gym memberships, engage in social activities, shop for healthier foods and see the best doctors for their health will, of course, be healthier in the long run.
Location, location, location
Not only does your income play into your life expectancy but get this—your location does too! Poor women in affluent cities such as San Francisco or New York tend to live longer than those in similar financial incomes in less wealthy areas. It’s unknown why this is, but the study leader suggested perhaps affluent areas do a better job of healthy lifestyle promotion which encourages better habits throughout.
Of course, there is no magic ball we can look into that will tell us our life expectancy but when studies like this come out, it’s hard to ignore!