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Is SARS a Poor Man's Disease? Socioeconomic Status and Risk Factors for SARS Transmission

2010; De Gruyter; Volume: 13; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2202/1558-9544.1209

2194-6191

Grace Wong Bucchianeri,

COVID-19 epidemiological studies

This paper investigates the link between various risk factors, including socioeconomic status (SES), and the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong in 2003. A comprehensive data set compiled by the author shows a negative and significant correlation between SARS incidence and various measures of income, but not years of education, unlike previous studies on other health conditions. The income-SARS gradient can be accounted for by controlling for pre-SARS housing values but not an array of measurable living conditions. Areas with more white-collar workers experienced a higher incidence rate, largely driven by the share of service and sales workers, after controlling for SES. These results have implications for the understanding of the SES-health link in the context of a contagious disease, the potential causality of the SES-SARS relationship and for future SARS containment strategies.