Women in low-income households are less likely to receive the health care they need

A study of 10,650 females in the UK found those with a combined household income of up to £25,000 per annum are less health literate and are less likely to attend health screenings or vaccination invitations.

In fact, 1 in 10 have never had health issues such as blood pressure or cervical cancer checked, compared to just 5% of those in a household earning more than £40,000 per annum.

15% of lower earners said they didn’t take up offers of preventative healthcare because they felt it was not needed.

They are also the least able to talk to and understand healthcare professionals (72% compared to 81% of high-income households) and least likely to know where to access health information (79% compared to 89% of high-income households).

Although 75% feel informed about what is needed to be healthy, this rises to 88% of those in high-income households.

It also emerged 30% of low earners who experience daily pain, such as joint pain, backaches or headaches, have stopped work completely as a result, compared to just 10% of high-income households.

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Source: The Independent, 24 January 2023