Break the cycle of environmental health disparities in vulnerable children

摘要

Literature reflects life. The literature on children who grow up in circumstances of social and economic disadvantage is very much a part of the place and time. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) wrote much of children who suffered under the burden of being poor in 19th Century London. In that age of industrialization, technical advances brought rapid progress to society, but also resulted in seismic population shifts. Large numbers of people moved from rural agricultural settings and lifestyles to the cities, where the new engines of industry promised more opportunities. Unfortunately, it also resulted in disenfranchisement and poverty for many, highlighting the contrasts between those who benefitted from industrialization and those who suffered as a result.