Poverty in Childhood Increases Risk of Poor Health in Adulthood

New research from the Center for Poverty Research illuminates the links between low socioeconomic status (SES) and metabolic syndrome, a family of conditions that make a person more likely to experience heart disease, strokes, and diabetes. These conditions affect nearly one-fourth of the world’s population, and children raised in poverty are 83% more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome than children of a high SES after controlling for other factors. Adult SES has a less pronounced effect on metabolic syndrome risk. This poses to policymakers an evidence-backed opportunity to improve long-term productivity, health, and well-being outcomes by targeting young children currently growing up in poverty.