The impact of income inequality on health has been a contested topic in the field of public health and social science. Professor Zheng’s new study forthcoming in Social Science & Medicine finds that income inequality at any one point doesn’t work instantaneously - it begins increasing mortality rates 5 years later, and its influence peaks after 7 years, before fading after 12 years. These findings help explain the mixed results in the extant literature.

This study has been featured in The Atlantic, Huffingtonpost and several other media outlets.

Report the full report at The Atlantic (http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/05/the-deadliness-of-income-inequality/256976/)