Florida TaxWatch Explores Social Determinants of Health in Final of Five-Part Series, Focuses on Economic Stability

Tallahassee, Fla. - Today, Florida TaxWatch released Social Determinants of Health: Economic Stability the fifth and final commentary in a series that explored what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services refers to as social determinants of health, or environmental conditions, such as age and economic background, that impact the health of individuals.

Throughout the Florida TaxWatch commentary, the government watchdog group found that easier access to health care means a healthier and longer life, and policies that provide quality education to all populations can lead to greater access to healthcare in the long term. Moreover, a society of better educated and employed people is a healthy population.

Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro said, "Employment, income, socioeconomic status, food security, and housing stability play an important role in accessing quality health care. They are also some of the main reasons for inequalities in health care access, which can add many millions of dollars to Florida taxpayers."

Florida TaxWatch Executive Vice President and General Counsel Jeff Kottkamp said, "Along with programs that promote employment, policies promoting career counseling, affordable housing, high-quality nutritional food, and health insurance with employment, all can reduce poverty and improve the well-being and health of the population as a whole."

People with steady employment are more likely to be healthy longer. Multiple studies on how health is affected by employment show that those who are unemployed or underemployed tend to have more health-related issues throughout their life. Unemployed individuals have a higher reporting rate of depression, anxiety, stress-related illnesses such as low blood pressure, and heart diseases, leading to a lower quality of life. Conversely, those who are employed full time show slower decline in health and physical functioning.

Better employment benefits lead to better healthcare access. Individuals with access to health benefits, paid sick leave, and parental leave have improved the well-being of themselves and their family members. Maternity leaves have shown a positive effect on mortality rates. An extension of paid maternity leave to 10 weeks has shown a reduction of three percent in infant, child, and neonatal fatality rates. Overall, people who were employed and insured were less likely to report chronic illness than those who were not employed and did not have insurance.

A higher socioeconomic status leads to lower mortality rates. The life expectancy at the age of 25 was higher for employed individuals in a higher economic group than those in a lower economic group. Adults with incomes below the federal poverty level are five times more likely than those above the federal poverty level to report poor health. Growing up in poverty can hinder educational development and create long term nutritional deficits in children.

Improper food access leads to higher risk of chronic illnesses. Research shows that while income is significantly associated with three of the chronic diseases studied, food insecurity is associated with ten. As food insecurity worsens, the likeliness of having a chronic illness increases. The risk of clinical diabetes is 50 percent higher among adults living in food-insecure households. Specifically, women of households with higher food insecurity reported poor physical health and more frequent mental distress.

Food insecure children have an increased risk of negative health outcomes. More than 100 studies from the past two decades show that children in households suffering from food insecurity are more likely to have poorer health, impaired mental proficiencies, behavioral problems, and more chronic illnesses. Teachers reported statistically significantly higher levels of hyperactivity, absenteeism, and tardiness among hungry/at-risk children.

People experiencing housing instability do not receive proper healthcare. Housing instability includes a number of challenges, such as trouble paying rent, overcrowding, moving frequently, or spending the bulk of household income on housing. As of 2019, 37 million households were cost burdened, meaning they had very little left over to spend on other necessities like food and healthcare.

Children of families facing housing insecurity are at a higher health risk. In the young population, multiple moves are statistically responsible for poor child health and food insecurity. Children face developmental risk and have lower weight-for-age than children with no housing instability. When compared to children who did not make moves, children who moved were more likely to report poorer overall physical health.

To learn more and access previous Social Determinants of Health, including the first commentaryHealth Care Access and Quality, June 2024, second commentary Education Access and Quality, August 2024, third commentary Neighborhood & Built Environment, November 2024, fourth commentary, Social Determinants of Health: Social and Community Context, December 2024, please click here.

About Florida TaxWatch
As an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog and taxpayer research institute, and the trusted "eyes and ears" of Florida taxpayers for more than 45 years, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) works to improve the productivity and accountability of Florida government. Its research recommends productivity enhancements and explains the statewide impact of fiscal and economic policies and practices on taxpayers and businesses. FTW is supported by its membership via voluntary, tax-deductible donations and private grants. Donations provide a solid, lasting foundation that has enabled FTW to bring about a more effective, responsive government that is more accountable to, and productive for, the taxpayers it has served since 1979. For more information, please visit www.floridataxwatch.org.

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