Health of Economically Deprived Populations in Cities

Abstract

In this chapter we discuss economically deprived populations residing in urban environments in industrialized countries. While we draw heavily from the experiences of the U.S. in terms of our descriptions of the populations that comprise the economically deprived, the structural factors producing economic deprivation, and the policy solutions for this growing population, the issues discussed here are relevant for all industrialized settings. In this chapter we explore the health problems of the economically and socially deprived residing in urban settings. We consider those who are economically deprived not only the populations living at or below the poverty line, but also those who are above the poverty line yet are struggling to maintain a basic living standard such as those persons or families earning less than a living wage. We seek to cover four questions in this chapter: (1) who are the economically deprived populations residing in urban environments; (2) what are the structural and policy factors that contribute to and maintain the plight and/or well-being of the economically deprived in urban environments; (3) what are some of the health burdens experienced by the economically and socially deprived urban populations; and (4) what are potential policies and strategies for improving the health of economically deprived populations and individuals in urban settings? (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)