[walrus carpenter]

...infectious diseases? What would be some strong arguments I could use if I were to support this statement in an argumentative research paper? I'll need to back it up with facts (which is actually the part I'm having trouble with, 'cause I can't help but look at the topic and think "Essay!" instead of "Research paper!").
*affects (instead of affecting)
I was actually thinking both economic and socio-economic, both the income of the person and the living conditions in his area. But because, usually (but not always), the former determines the latter, and the latter usually (but not always) determines the prevalence of infectious disease, I was thinking of using the latter interpretation.
Actually, I think I'll use both. If socio-economic status were to be determined by financial capability to see a doctor and buy medication, and state of sanitation, then it is common to think that as it goes up, the prevalence of infectious diseases goes down. But that may not always be the case, especially with the former, because a country may be financially able to lower the prevalence of infectious diseases, but its government must implement effective laws of programs to make this happen.