Preventing Chronic Disease: January 2006: 05_0156

Preventing Chronic Disease: January 2006: 05_0156: "The Impact of Inequality: How to Make Sick Societies Healthier, by Richard G. Wilkinson, is a sequel to his book, Unhealthy Societies: The Afflictions of Inequality (1). The premise of both books is that the structure of social relations determines the health status of populations; that is, the greater the social inequality (e.g., income disparities) within a society, the poorer the health outcomes (e.g., the higher the death rates). Wilkinson's first book focused on documenting the relationship based on an emerging body of evidence; his second book takes the next step by reviewing the current state of knowledge, offering an explanation, and suggesting potential solutions to the problem. With its carefully assembled and weighted evidence and its clear and convincing argument, the second book is an excellent resource for social scientists, epidemiologists, public health officials, policy makers, and students."/.../