Mortality, morbidity and income inequality in Australia

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Evidence has been accumulating for some time indicates that an individual's life expectancy is affected by their socioeconomic circumstances. In general, it appears that people with higher incomes tend to live longer. More recently, some evidence has suggested that life expectancy is affected not only by a person's income level but also by their relative position in the income distribution. Some studies have found that, when income is more unequally distributed, mortality rates tend to be higher and life expectancy lower. Several explanations for this association have been advanced. One is that the association is a statistical artifact. Another is social-psychological, arguing that a sense of relative deprivation and social exclusion increases susceptibility to a variety of conditions. A third explanation is couched in terms of social capital, a term that refers to various forms of participation in voluntary organisations which strengthen community life. A fourth argues that it is material deprivation that is the underlying cause - income inequality is found in communities characterised by lower levels of provision of social infrastructure such as schools, libraries, and health services. The main purpose of this research project is to investigate the association between morbidity, mortality, income, and income inequality in Australia. The project will attempt to find which of the several explanations just discussed are supported by Australian evidence. The results of the project will enhance our understanding of the relationship between socioeconomic status and health, and will have implications for the design of different policies aimed at ameliorating the effects of income inequality on health.