Socioeconomic Status and Life Expectancy in Indiana, 1970-1990~!2010-01-05~!2010-02-01~!2010-04-07~!

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and life expectancy in Indiana in 1970 and 1990. SES is of interest because along with race and gender, it is one of the three cornerstones of social stratification in the United States and it has been found to have a strong association with various health outcome measures, including life expectancy. The period 1970 to 1990 is of interest because social welfare programs that were at a peak in 1970 had been significantly reduced by 1990. The analysis shows that high SES populations in Indiana gained an average of half a year of additional life expectancy over low SES populations. These findings support earlier findings that SES plays a role in differential life expectancy subsequent to 1970 and have implications for current national health policy in that one of the two key goals of the US Department of Health and Human Services is the elimination of health disparities by 2010. Suggestions for further research include adding race and ethnicity.