Advance Economic Opportunity
Unstable economic conditions, often rooted in historical and structural inequities, can serve as a persistent toxic stressor for families.
What We Know
The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age are known as the social drivers of health. Economic security, including employment and the ability to earn living wages, are among these factors that can have a profound impact on health outcomes throughout one’s life course. Poverty often limits access to safe neighborhoods, healthy foods, high quality education and higher earning jobs, which have a direct impact on health outcomes.
Research shows a direct link between poverty and poor birth outcomes, including low-birthweight, psychosocial issues, malnutrition and low educational attainment. Poverty is also closely linked to infectious disease spread and impact, as demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maternal and Infant Health Impact
Communities of color experience higher levels of economic insecurity when compared to their White counterparts as a result of racist policies and practices, such as neighborhood red lining. The U.S. has fewer social safety nets compared to other developed, high-income countries, resulting in higher exposure to socioeconomic stressors and inequities in poor health outcomes.
15.9%
In 2019, 15.9% of women of childbearing age (15-44 years) lived below the poverty level in the U.S. – U.S. Census
News & Resources
Research going back decades has linked poverty with poor child outcomes, including low-birthweight, psychosocial issues, malnutrition and low educational attainment. Explore the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data on the nature of poverty and income.
Poverty USA is an initiative of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and was created as an educational resource to help individuals and communities to address the root causes of poverty in America. The project includes stories about combating poverty, maps and data on poverty in the U.S. and policies that can help.
This report from Pew Research Center, published in January 2020, draws on the latest U.S. government income data to underscore that, while some measures of the economy show positive signs, income inequality has continued to increase.