How social status affects health

Robert Douglas, Emeritus Professor in Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University, has written a piece for The Conversation, It's good to be king: how social status affects health.  He summarises the latest thinking on this topic, stating that this growing area of research supports the a social view of disease and treatment - that lower social standing leads to lower mental, social and physical wellbeing.  Several studies are linked concerning the complex health consequences of poverty and the importance of social inclusiveness.