A minimum income for healthy living

Abstract

Background-Half a century of research has provided consensual evidence of major personal requisites of adult health in nutrition, physical activity and psychosocial relations. Their minimal money costs, together with those of a home and other basic necessities, indicate disposable income that is now essential for health. Interpretation-Accumulating science means that absolute standards of living, "poverty", minimal oYcial incomes and the like, can now be assessed by objective measurement of the personal capacity to meet the costs of major requisites of healthy living. A realistic assessment of these costs is presented as an impetus to public discussion. It is a historical role of public health as social medicine to lead in public advocacy of such a national agenda. (J Epidemiol Community Health 2000;54:885-889) This study was triggered by the innovation in the UK of a statutory minimum wage. During intensive preliminary discussion of it there was virtually no reference to health needs that such an income should be capable of meeting. We seek to rectify this as a contribution to public health. Methods-InHalf a century of research has provided consensual evidence of major requisites of adult health, and lower disease and death rates, particularly in nutrition, physical activity and psychosocial relations. These, together with standard attitudes to what otherwise is decent and necessary, can now be recognised as an objective basis for personal health. As yet, however, society has adapted little to this modern knowledge.We have assessed minimal costs in the UK of such healthy living, selecting single young men, a relatively defined group, to establish the principle and to ease our initial foray into what we foresaw would be a diYcult field; and also because they are a national priority of concern.As will be illustrated, a huge volume of research at population and individual levels has been coalescing on conditions of health and wellbeing, on physiological status, risk factors and the prevention of disease, on morbidity and mortality. Equally remarkable, is the consensus of recommendations on lifestyles for the population at large that is flowing for the first time and with increasing consistency and confidence from this modern knowledge, and the specific guidance that, indeed, is now often given by government itself.

Putting policy into practice? Poverty and people with serious mental illness

“…15 It is also consistent with research identifying a 'minimum income for healthy living' that provides decent food, shelter and clothing plus opportunities for activities that foster social integration (Morris, Donkin, Wonderling, Wilkinson, & Dowler, 2000). Last but by no means least, the goal of increasing the PNA is consistent with the recognition that poverty restricts disabled people's rights to social and political participation (Beresford, 1996).…”

Social determinants of tuberculosis in Europe: a prospective ecological study

“…However, these studies had a global, rather than European, focus [35]. It appears that in the European countries considered here, more unequal distribution of income leads to a larger proportion of individuals with incomes less than the minimum required for healthy living [42,43], or below the poverty line. Thus, despite the overall wealth and level of economic development within a nation, income inequality increases the numbers of individuals within a country that have low vaccine coverage, engage in high-risk health behaviour, and have limited access to healthcare.…”

Symposium on ‘Intervention policies for deprived households’ Policy initiatives to address low-income households' nutritional needs in the UK

“…The more theoretical approach of budget standards research, which cost diets appropriate for health for different household types, has demonstrated that, on average, UK families living on low incomes with dependent children (83) , young single men paid at or below the minimum wage (84) and older individuals living on state old-age pensions (85) are likely to have insufficient money to meet basic needs for healthy living, including food. In that they do not, on the whole, go hungry is testament to immense skill in budgeting and managing limited resources, acceptance of monotonous diets and the probability of having to rely on very cheap food that is unlikely to contribute to a healthy dietary intake.…”