Low income is recognized as the single most significant indicator of health status.
This is particularly acute for low income children as health problems begin before birth and continue to place them at greater risk of death, disability, and other health problems throughout their lives. These childhood problems can frequently become chronic illnesses for adults. To place the magnitude of this difference in perspective, an appropriate comparison would be that this mortality difference exceeds the combined loss of life from lung cancer, diabetes, motor vehicle crashes, HIV infection, suicide, and homicide in 1995. 4 Low income and inequality also contribute to a community's sense of social unrest and upheaval. For example, low income hurts poor children and adults by putting them at higher risk of poor physical and mental health, involvement in crime, and unemployment.