Evidence map›Paper›PMID 11777799›Full record

ArticleBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2002

Relations of income inequality and family income to chronic medical conditions and mental health disorders: national survey.

Roland Sturm, Carole Roan Gresenz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2002. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 59 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
59citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

59 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Changes in health-related quality of life and inequality in China: evidence from a nationwide repeated cross-sectional survey (2021-2023).Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
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  13. Income Inequality and Obesity among US Adults 1999-2016: Does Sex Matter?International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Roland SturmRAND, 1700 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA. sturm@rand.org
Carole Roan Gresenz

Funding

Mental Health and Labor Market OutcomesR01MH062124 · NIMH · RAND CORPORATION · PI STURM, ROLAND · 2001 to 2004
$1.2M
NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH062124NIMH NIH HHS R01-MH62124
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo analyse the relation between geographical inequalities in income and the prevalence of common chronic medical conditions and mental health disorders, and to compare it with the relation between family income and these health problems.

designNationally representative household telephone survey conducted in 1997-8.

setting60 metropolitan areas or economic areas of the United States.

participants9585 adults who participated in the community tracking study.

main outcome measuresSelf report of 17 common chronic medical conditions; current depressive disorder or anxiety disorder assessed by clinical screeners.

resultsA strong continuous association was seen between health and education or family income. No relation was found between income inequality and the prevalence of chronic medical problems or depressive disorders and anxiety disorders, either across the whole population or among poorer people. Only self reported overall health, the measure used in previous studies, was significantly correlated with inequality at the population level, but this correlation disappeared after adjustment for individual characteristics.

conclusionsThis study provides no evidence for the hypothesis that income inequality is a major risk factor for common disorders of physical or mental health.

Indexed as

Chronic DiseaseFemaleHealth StatusHealth SurveysHumansIncomeMaleMental DisordersPovertyPrevalenceRisk FactorsUnited States

Identifiers

PMID11777799
PMCPMC61653

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.