title: Understanding social inequalities in health.
abstract: A prominent feature of health in all industrialized countries is the social gradient in health and disease. Many observers believe that this gradient is simply a matter of poor health for the disadvantaged and good health for everyone else, but this is an inadequate analysis. The Whitehall Study documented a social gradient in mortality rates, even among people who are not poor, and this pattern has been confirmed by data from the United States and elsewhere. The social gradient in health is influenced by such factors as social position; relative versus absolute deprivation; and control and social participation. To understand causality and generate policies to improve health, we must consider the relationship between social environment and health and especially the importance of early life experiences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom. m.marmot@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Marmot
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D019049:Developed Countries; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D012962:Sociology, Medical; D006113:United Kingdom