ABSTRACT
Leading epidemiologists, such as Michael Marmot of Great Britain, have noted that the differences in life expectancy between rich and poor countries can be as much as an astounding 48 years. The disadvantages experienced by poor children are linked directly to parenting deficits, often associated with childhood behavioral issues. Children from low-income backgrounds have been observed prospectively to have multiple biological and environmental risk factors associated with poverty. The odds of living fewer adult years are associated with limited economic resources, even when individuals suffer from the same chronic conditions. There are numerous studies of health disparities between blacks and whites, of unequal access to quality care, and the failure of blacks to receive preventive services. According to the Commonwealth Fund’s Chartbook, black men with Medicare are much less likely than white men to receive angioplasty to surgically repair a blocked blood vessel.
