Social factors, including housing, income and education, affect health

Besides insurance coverage, several others factors such as racial differences, zip code, education level and income, have an even bigger effect on health.

Minnesota Public Radio reports that Camara Jones, research director on social determinants of health and equity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, "thinks money and education are important health indicators because they improve your odds of living in a good neighborhood, and where we live matters a great deal to our health and even our life span." It also notes: "It's entirely possible that the social determinants of housing, access to health care and transportation are playing a role in the spread of H1N1" (Benson, 10/5).