Only the Poor Die Young? Long-Term Solutions for a Sick Country: "In the latest commentary for Spotlight, contributors Abdul El-Sayed, M.D./Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University, and Sandro Galea, chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia, assert that a national response to address social determinants of poor health is critical to prevent unnecessary deaths. In a recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health, the authors examined the number of deaths in a single year from the combined effects of social problems such as low high school graduation rates, racial segregation, poverty, weak social support and income inequality. Their findings show, for example, that in 2000 dropping out of high school was responsible for 245,000 deaths—more fatalities than deaths by heart attack. The authors equate these results to a lack of access to information and resources. These findings suggest that long-term investments in social welfare are needed to improve health for all Americans including prevention that addresses disease-contributing factors such as dirty water, overcrowding and poor food quality."
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