Child wellbeing and income inequality in rich societies: ecological cross sectional study

摘要: Objectives To examine associations between child wellbeing and material living standards (average income), the scale of differentiation in social status (income inequality), exclusion (children relative poverty) rich developed societies. Design Ecological, cross sectional studies. Setting Cross national comparisons 23 countries; state within United States. Population Children young people. Main outcome measures The Unicef index its components for eight comparable US states District Columbia (teenage births, juvenile homicides, infant mortality, low birth weight, educational performance, dropping out high school, overweight, mental health problems). Results overall was negatively correlated with income inequality (r=−0.64, P=0.001) percentage children poverty (r=−0.67, but not average (r=0.15, P=0.50). Many more indicators were associated or poverty, both, than incomes. Among all significantly worse unequal states. Only teenage rates proportion school lower richer Conclusions Improvements societies may depend on reductions further economic growth.