The impact of absolute material deprivation—
grossly inadequate food, clothing, shelter,
water, and sanitation—on health has been recognized
for centuries (93); until relatively recently,
discussions of socioeconomic influences
on health in the United States focused primarily
on links between poverty and health. Over
the past 15–20 years, however, a new discourse
on social factors and health—with wider relevance
to the general population—has emerged
in the United States, building on earlier work
in Europe and Canada.