2017/09/17 by Declan French, Donal McKillop
Business, Management and Accounting · Health Professions · #Employment and Welfare Studies #Financial Literacy, Pension, Retirement Analysis #Global Health Care Issues
paper · doi:10.1177/0958928717717657
openalex publication_date 2017/09/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
We analyse data collected from a survey of Northern Irish low-income households experiencing varying degrees of financial hardship and examine how debt affects health and health-related behaviours. Our results indicate that the subjective experience of feeling financially stressed has a robust relationship with most aspects of health, including ability to self-care, problems performing usual activities, pain problems and psychological health. In contrast, the size of the debt, the type of debt or the number of different lenders does not add any extra explanatory power. Additionally, our results indicate that the pathway from financial difficulties to worse health runs through worse diets and increased consumption of cigarettes and drugs. This research is timely as household debt burdens will soon surpass the high levels seen at the time of the financial crisis and the introduction of welfare reform in Northern Ireland will put additional strain on low-income households.