Child wellbeing and income inequality in rich societies: ecological cross sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine associations between child wellbeing and material living standards (average income), the scale of differentiation in social status (income inequality), and social exclusion (children in relative poverty) in rich developed societies.


METHODS
Ecological, cross sectional studies.


METHODS
Cross national comparisons of 23 rich countries; cross state comparisons within the United States.


METHODS
Children and young people.


METHODS
The Unicef index of child wellbeing and its components for rich countries; eight comparable measures for the US states and District of Columbia (teenage births, juvenile homicides, infant mortality, low birth weight, educational performance, dropping out of high school, overweight, mental health problems).


RESULTS
The overall index of child wellbeing was negatively correlated with income inequality (r=-0.64, P=0.001) and percentage of children in relative poverty (r=-0.67, P=0.001) but not with average income (r=0.15, P=0.50). Many more indicators of child wellbeing were associated with income inequality or children in relative poverty, or both, than with average incomes. Among the US states and District of Columbia all indicators were significantly worse in more unequal states. Only teenage birth rates and the proportion of children dropping out of high school were lower in richer states.


CONCLUSIONS
Improvements in child wellbeing in rich societies may depend more on reductions in inequality than on further economic growth.
Pickett
Kate E
KE
Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD.
Wilkinson
Richard G
RG
D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019049:Developed Countries; D004522:Educational Status; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011203:Poverty; D012307:Risk Factors; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States