6.0. Conclusion
This chapter about the economically deprived in urban areas has primarily focused upon the U.S. However, many trends and processes described here are relevant for other industrialized countries. The U.S. has experienced little significant gain in the alleviation of poverty and economic hardship over the last several decades among those in the lower half of the income spectrum. Demographic and individual-level explanations are not major contributors to these trends. Rather, current U.S. policies and practices have resulted in falling wages and increasing economic hardship among a growing proportion of the U.S. population. The health of the economically deprived is far worse in several areas compared to those who are better off. Solutions to the economic deprivation that leads to poorer health are attainable for the wealthiest country in the world. Policy reversals, in such areas as welfare reform for the poor and corporate welfare and tax cuts for the rich that reduce overall funds for social spending, would be a good beginning. Multiple coordinated efforts will be required to significantly alter the well-being of the economically deprived.
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O’Campo, P., Yonas, M. (2005). Health of Economically Deprived Populations in Cities. In: Galea, S., Vlahov, D. (eds) Handbook of Urban Health. Springer, Boston, MA . https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-25822-1_3
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