New research from the University of Michigan shows that major economic changes over the past 50 years have had serious impacts on the health and lifespans of Americans, especially those with less education.
The study, led by Professor Arline Geronimus and published in Epidemiology, found that people living in areas hit hardest by economic decline are not only sicker but also living shorter lives.
Using national data from 1990 to 2017, the researchers found that adults with lower levels of education who lived in struggling areas lived one to two years less, between ages 25 and 84, compared to people in more prosperous regions.
These individuals also faced much higher levels of chronic illnesses and stress.
Geronimus explained that since the 1980s, major changes like globalization and technological advances have made it harder for workers without college degrees to find stable, well-paying jobs.
In response, many less-educated workers have had to juggle multiple low-paying jobs just to survive.
While this shows resilience and determination, the constant stress of trying to keep up has taken a serious toll on their bodies over time, increasing their risk for diseases like cancer and heart disease.
The study also found that the widening gap in life expectancy between more-educated and less-educated Americans is not mainly due to rising deaths from suicide or drug overdoses, as is sometimes assumed.
Instead, the main causes are chronic diseases that are strongly linked to long-term stress and wear on the body.
Geronimus emphasized that while the opioid crisis remains a major public health issue, it is not the primary reason for the broader trends in declining health among less-educated adults.
Importantly, Geronimus and her team say that improving this situation will require more than just encouraging individuals to make healthier choices.
Broad societal changes are needed to create a fairer economy that supports all workers. Without addressing the root economic challenges faced by less-educated Americans, efforts to close the health and lifespan gaps are unlikely to succeed.
The study highlights the urgent need for policymakers to consider the health impacts of large-scale economic changes. By focusing only on personal behaviors, we risk ignoring the deeper structural forces that continue to harm the health of millions of Americans.
Co-authors of the study include researchers from the Urban Institute, the National Bureau of Economic Research, and the University of Michigan.
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