Coastline Health Gap: Deprivation and Migration Drive Midlife Multimorbidity

A BMJ Public Health analysis of two long-running UK birth cohorts finds that living near the coast in adolescence is not by itself linked to later multimorbidity. Instead, adults who stay in coastal areas or move there are more likely to develop multiple chronic illnesses by midlife, driven by deprivation and selective migration that concentrates poor health in coastal communities. After adjusting for neighborhood deprivation, the gap narrows, but migration patterns still leave coastal regions with higher shares of disadvantaged residents. The study calls for coordinated investment in health care, transportation, education, and employment to address coastal health inequalities.