A recent study reveals that poor Europeans can anticipate living just as long, if not longer in certain instances, compared to wealthy Americans.
The health status and longevity of individuals frequently correlate with their financial resources, as wealth enhances opportunities for acquiring knowledge, securing well-paying positions, obtaining nourishing sustenance, and accessing quality healthcare.
However, even individuals who are considered poor in nations such as the Netherlands and France generally outlive wealthier Americans when it comes to longevity, reveals recent research featured in the journal. The New England Journal of Medicine.
The study encompassed roughly 74,000 individuals from the United States and 16 European nations, all aged between 50 and 85 years as of 2010, with their longevity monitored until 2022.
Europeans were split into three groups: northern and western Europe (which included Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland); southern Europe (Italy, Portugal, and Spain); and eastern Europe, which spanned the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia.
Throughout all groups, the mortality rate in the United States stood at 6.5 deaths per 1,000 individuals over the course of the study. This figure contrasts with rates of 2.9 per 1,000 in both northern and western Europe, 4.9 per 1,000 in southern Europe, and 5.8 per 1,000 in eastern Europe.
The connection between well-being and prosperity
Although there is a connection between affluence and longevity globally, the research discovered that the disparity in healthcare outcomes between the wealthiest and least wealthy individuals was more pronounced in the United States compared to any European nation.
Americans with the lowest income levels showed the least favourable survival rates overall, and generally passed away at an earlier age compared to those in similar economic brackets within European countries.
Even the richest Americans still found themselves less well-off compared to numerous Europeans.
The study revealed that affluent individuals in America had poorer survival rates compared to their wealthier counterparts in southern Europe, as well as those from northern and western Europe, irrespective of their economic status.
The survival rates among affluent Americans were similar to those of the least well-off individuals in Northern and Western Europe, as well as compared to Eastern European averages.
"The findings serve as a clear indication that even America’s richest individuals cannot escape the systemic problems within the US that contribute to reduced life expectancy," stated Irene Papanicolas, a health economist from Brown University in the U.S., where the research was conducted.
The researchers pointed out that Americans and Western Europeans generally possess greater financial resources compared to people in other regions, yet the connection between affluence and well-being extends beyond merely the magnitude of one’s savings or checking accounts.
What truly counts is how an individual’s wealth measures up against that of their compatriots. According to the study, the United States exhibits one of the most pronounced wealth gaps among advanced nations and also possesses "less robust social networks" along with restricted healthcare availability.
The researchers suggest this might clarify why the difference in death rates between rich and poor Americans is larger, and also why the least well-off individuals in the U.S. have worse survival chances compared to their counterparts in Europe who are equally impoverished.
"Improving health outcomes is not only an issue for the most disadvantaged; individuals in the highest quarter of wealth also face challenges," noted Sara Machado, one of the study’s authors and a research fellow at Brown University.
Role of social infrastructure
The research didn’t include comparisons with European nations; however, the improved results observed among less affluent individuals in Northern and Western Europe probably indicate the robustness of their social support systems, noted Dr Martin McKee, a professor specializing in European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and past president of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA).
"This is compelling evidence that a welfare state provides advantages to everyone, including individuals who might see themselves as at least middle-class," said McKee, who wasn’t part of the research, to Euronews Health.
In every country studied, the researchers took into consideration various elements including gender, marital status, educational background, living environment (rural versus urban), smoking habits, and pre-existing conditions such as cancer or diabetes.
This enabled them to pinpoint the clear connection between affluence and long-term survival. However, additional elements like race and ethnicity, which were not assessed, might also have an impact.
McKee mentioned that they had merely categorized individuals into just four groups, potentially obscuring much starker outcomes for both the ultra-wealthy and the extremely impoverished populations.
The actual concern in both Europe and the U.S. lies with the growing number of individuals within the uppermost 1 to 2 percent, rather than just the top 25 percent [of wealth]," McKee stated, suggesting that this research "likely understates the magnitude of the issue.
Despite this, the researchers suggested that the United States might find inspiration across the Atlantic if it aims to increase life expectancy and improve overall well-being for all Americans.
"If we consider other nations, they have achieved more favorable results, which indicates that we can gain insights from them and enhance our own performance," Machado stated.