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A minimum income for healthy living
J N Morris1, A J Donkin, D Wonderling
1Health Promotion Research Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK. j.gardner@lshtm.ac.uk
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
|November 15, 2000
Summary
Meeting the costs of essential adult health requirements like nutrition and housing requires disposable income. This study quantises these minimal costs for UK working men, finding they exceed the national minimum wage.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Medicine
- Health Economics
Background:
- Decades of research confirm nutrition, physical activity, and psychosocial relations are vital for adult health.
- The minimal costs associated with these requisites, plus housing and basic necessities, highlight the essential role of disposable income for maintaining health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the representative minimal costs for healthy, single, working men aged 18-30 in the UK.
- To provide an objective measurement for assessing living standards and poverty based on health requisites.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ad hoc surveys and national Family Expenditure Survey data.
- Employed pragmatic decisions for minor cost items where specific survey data were unavailable.
Main Results:
- Assessed minimum weekly costs at £131.86 (UK April 1999 prices), with housing comprising ~40%.
- Cost range varied from £106.47 to £163.86 weekly, depending on region and assumptions.
- These costs were compared to the UK national minimum wage and social security rates in 1999.
Conclusions:
- Scientific advancements enable objective assessment of living standards and poverty by measuring the capacity to meet health-related costs.
- The study presents a realistic cost assessment to stimulate public discussion on health and income.
- Public health, as social medicine, should advocate for a national agenda addressing these findings.