A study led by scholars at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan finds that higher levels of education and higher incomes do not shield some racial and gender groups from health disparities.
The new study examined an analysis of nearly 37,500 Black and White men and women aged 50 or over during a six-year period. The results showed that high levels of income and education did tend to lessen rates of depression and overall health for all racial and gender groups. But Black men with higher education did not show better indicators of body mass index, sleep patterns, or physical activity. Higher education did not show a benefit for improving body mass index for Black women. Both Black and White men with higher incomes did not show an improvement in body mass index, whereas Black and White women with higher incomes had a lower body mass index.
The study, “Race by Gender Group Differences in the Protective Effects of Socioeconomic Factors Against Sustained Health Problems Across Five Domains,” was published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. It may be accessed here.
Higher waged, white collared professions are highly sedentary. Some of these people are considered obese and the ones with the poorest posters sit behind a desk all day. I see this all of the time.