Alan Cribb
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199242733
- eISBN:
- 9780191603549
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199242739.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
The most important ethical implication of the diffusion of the health agenda is the growth in salience of health inequalities. Taking a broad social perspective on health opens up the consideration ...
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The most important ethical implication of the diffusion of the health agenda is the growth in salience of health inequalities. Taking a broad social perspective on health opens up the consideration of patterns of determinants and patterns of health experiences. This chapter addresses the following issues: (i) What they might entail in practice, in other words: ‘What would a more equal health polity have to aim at?’ and (ii) How far should health or public policy be led by a concern with equity where this comes into conflict with other relevant values? The first part of the chapter sets out the rationale for thinking that health inequalities are ethically important. The chapter later places more emphasis on the problems of interpreting the implications of this ethical significance.Less
The most important ethical implication of the diffusion of the health agenda is the growth in salience of health inequalities. Taking a broad social perspective on health opens up the consideration of patterns of determinants and patterns of health experiences. This chapter addresses the following issues: (i) What they might entail in practice, in other words: ‘What would a more equal health polity have to aim at?’ and (ii) How far should health or public policy be led by a concern with equity where this comes into conflict with other relevant values? The first part of the chapter sets out the rationale for thinking that health inequalities are ethically important. The chapter later places more emphasis on the problems of interpreting the implications of this ethical significance.
Johannes Siegrist and Michael Marmot (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780198568162
- eISBN:
- 9780191724107
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198568162.001.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
Health inequalities according to people's social standing are persisting, or even growing, in modern societies. Recent decades have revealed evidence of strong variations in life expectancy, both ...
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Health inequalities according to people's social standing are persisting, or even growing, in modern societies. Recent decades have revealed evidence of strong variations in life expectancy, both between countries and within them. This widening of social inequalities has developed despite considerable progress in medical science and an increase in health care spending. The reasons behind this are complex, and the implications considerable. This book provides a summary of the major achievements of a five-year European Science Foundation (ESF) Programme on ‘Social Variations in Health Expectancy in Europe’. The contributors to this book are major figures in their subjects, and combine state of the art reviews with the latest results from interdisciplinary research in epidemiology, sociology, psychology, and biomedicine. Three conceptual frameworks of life course influences, health effects of stressful environments, and macro social determinants of health, are unified, while each chapter addresses the policy implications and recommendations derived from currently available evidence. The major topics covered include the role of family in early life, social integration and health, work stress and job security, successful ways of facing adversity, and the impact of the larger environment on health.Less
Health inequalities according to people's social standing are persisting, or even growing, in modern societies. Recent decades have revealed evidence of strong variations in life expectancy, both between countries and within them. This widening of social inequalities has developed despite considerable progress in medical science and an increase in health care spending. The reasons behind this are complex, and the implications considerable. This book provides a summary of the major achievements of a five-year European Science Foundation (ESF) Programme on ‘Social Variations in Health Expectancy in Europe’. The contributors to this book are major figures in their subjects, and combine state of the art reviews with the latest results from interdisciplinary research in epidemiology, sociology, psychology, and biomedicine. Three conceptual frameworks of life course influences, health effects of stressful environments, and macro social determinants of health, are unified, while each chapter addresses the policy implications and recommendations derived from currently available evidence. The major topics covered include the role of family in early life, social integration and health, work stress and job security, successful ways of facing adversity, and the impact of the larger environment on health.
Johan P. Mackenbach
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780198568162
- eISBN:
- 9780191724107
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198568162.003.00010
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
During the last two decades, socio-economic inequalities in health have increasingly been recognized as an important public health issue throughout Western Europe. A search for evidence-based ...
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During the last two decades, socio-economic inequalities in health have increasingly been recognized as an important public health issue throughout Western Europe. A search for evidence-based strategies to reduce these inequalities has begun. This chapter reviews recent European experiences in this area. It begins with a brief overview of the size and pattern of socio-economic inequalities in health in western Europe. It then reviews national policy developments, including various innovative approaches and comprehensive blueprints for tackling health inequalities that have been proposed. Finally, it discusses the types of evidence needed to underpin policies to tackle socio-economic inequalities in health. These requirements are illustrated with an analysis of some of the new findings on explanation of health inequalities as reported in this volume.Less
During the last two decades, socio-economic inequalities in health have increasingly been recognized as an important public health issue throughout Western Europe. A search for evidence-based strategies to reduce these inequalities has begun. This chapter reviews recent European experiences in this area. It begins with a brief overview of the size and pattern of socio-economic inequalities in health in western Europe. It then reviews national policy developments, including various innovative approaches and comprehensive blueprints for tackling health inequalities that have been proposed. Finally, it discusses the types of evidence needed to underpin policies to tackle socio-economic inequalities in health. These requirements are illustrated with an analysis of some of the new findings on explanation of health inequalities as reported in this volume.
Espen Dahl, Johan Fritzell, Eero Lahelma, Pekka Martikainen, Anton Kunst, and Johan P. Mackenbach
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780198568162
- eISBN:
- 9780191724107
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198568162.003.0009
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter begins by re-evaluating the reasons one might have to expect that some welfare states regimes, and especially the Nordic ones, can be expected to influence inequalities in population ...
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This chapter begins by re-evaluating the reasons one might have to expect that some welfare states regimes, and especially the Nordic ones, can be expected to influence inequalities in population health. It then examines whether the expected effects of welfare state regimes are observed in recent research on inequalities in health. It reviews the empirical evidence brought forward by recent comparative studies, paying special attention to comparative studies on health inequalities that include both Nordic countries and countries with different welfare state regimes. Available evidence shows that health inequalities are not consistently, significantly, and systematically smaller in the social democratic countries than in countries belonging to the other welfare regimes, i.e., the conservative and the liberal. However, for inequalities in mortality, except for Finland, the other Scandinavian countries do perform rather well, in relative terms (Denmark and Norway) or in absolute terms (Norway and Sweden).Less
This chapter begins by re-evaluating the reasons one might have to expect that some welfare states regimes, and especially the Nordic ones, can be expected to influence inequalities in population health. It then examines whether the expected effects of welfare state regimes are observed in recent research on inequalities in health. It reviews the empirical evidence brought forward by recent comparative studies, paying special attention to comparative studies on health inequalities that include both Nordic countries and countries with different welfare state regimes. Available evidence shows that health inequalities are not consistently, significantly, and systematically smaller in the social democratic countries than in countries belonging to the other welfare regimes, i.e., the conservative and the liberal. However, for inequalities in mortality, except for Finland, the other Scandinavian countries do perform rather well, in relative terms (Denmark and Norway) or in absolute terms (Norway and Sweden).
Peter D. Jacobson and Elizabeth Selvin
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195170665
- eISBN:
- 9780199850204
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195170665.003.0038
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
When interpreting legislation, courts are often presented with opportunities to address health-care inequalities. This chapter describes four instances showing the judiciary's reluctance to confront ...
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When interpreting legislation, courts are often presented with opportunities to address health-care inequalities. This chapter describes four instances showing the judiciary's reluctance to confront health-care inequalities. It argues that despite precedent for judicial intervention to change social policy in public education, welfare rights, and judicial takeovers of certain institutions, there has been considerable judicial reluctance to do so in health care. The courts have systematically chosen markets over equity. Medicare/Medicaid, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1986 (EMTALA), the Hill-Burton Act, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) are examples that several trends advocates should consider in devising strategies for reducing health-care inequalities.Less
When interpreting legislation, courts are often presented with opportunities to address health-care inequalities. This chapter describes four instances showing the judiciary's reluctance to confront health-care inequalities. It argues that despite precedent for judicial intervention to change social policy in public education, welfare rights, and judicial takeovers of certain institutions, there has been considerable judicial reluctance to do so in health care. The courts have systematically chosen markets over equity. Medicare/Medicaid, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1986 (EMTALA), the Hill-Burton Act, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) are examples that several trends advocates should consider in devising strategies for reducing health-care inequalities.
Amanda Killoran and Mike P. Kelly (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199563623
- eISBN:
- 9780191722554
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199563623.001.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
Evidence-Based Public Health: Effectiveness and Efficiency continues the themes raised in Public Health Evidence: tackling health inequalities. Written by the same team, this book is a ...
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Evidence-Based Public Health: Effectiveness and Efficiency continues the themes raised in Public Health Evidence: tackling health inequalities. Written by the same team, this book is a comprehensive reference to evidence-based approaches in public health. It covers the context and role of evidence-based public health in England; frameworks for evaluating the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of public health policies and interventions; diversity, vulnerability and risk as a focus for understanding the role of social context in influencing health-related behaviours; approaches and methods to generate and synthesize evidence of what works to improve health and tackle health inequalities; current best available evidence on the effectiveness of a diverse range of interventions; and the role of evidence-based guidance and standards in changing policy and practice.Less
Evidence-Based Public Health: Effectiveness and Efficiency continues the themes raised in Public Health Evidence: tackling health inequalities. Written by the same team, this book is a comprehensive reference to evidence-based approaches in public health. It covers the context and role of evidence-based public health in England; frameworks for evaluating the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of public health policies and interventions; diversity, vulnerability and risk as a focus for understanding the role of social context in influencing health-related behaviours; approaches and methods to generate and synthesize evidence of what works to improve health and tackle health inequalities; current best available evidence on the effectiveness of a diverse range of interventions; and the role of evidence-based guidance and standards in changing policy and practice.
Katherine Smith, Clare Bambra, and Sarah E. Hill
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780198703358
- eISBN:
- 9780191772603
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198703358.003.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
The introductory chapter provides an overview of different ways of defining, conceptualizing, and measuring health inequalities. This includes outlining common axes of inequality, including social ...
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The introductory chapter provides an overview of different ways of defining, conceptualizing, and measuring health inequalities. This includes outlining common axes of inequality, including social class and socioeconomic status, geographical area, ethnicity, and gender. The chapter briefly explores the UK’s history as a leader in health inequalities research before going on to review trends in health inequalities patterns in the UK over the past four decades. Next, the chapter provides a succinct overview of key empirically informed theories which aim to explain health inequalities, including cultural–behavioural, materialist, psychosocial, and political economy (structural) accounts. In each case, the chapter briefly explains the rationale and evidence underlying such accounts before considering key criticisms. Finally, the chapter provides a brief account of the UK’s policy responses to health inequalities, considering potential explanations for why these policy efforts appear to have had limited success in reducing health inequalities and examining the extent to which post-1997 interventions have reflected the available evidence.Less
The introductory chapter provides an overview of different ways of defining, conceptualizing, and measuring health inequalities. This includes outlining common axes of inequality, including social class and socioeconomic status, geographical area, ethnicity, and gender. The chapter briefly explores the UK’s history as a leader in health inequalities research before going on to review trends in health inequalities patterns in the UK over the past four decades. Next, the chapter provides a succinct overview of key empirically informed theories which aim to explain health inequalities, including cultural–behavioural, materialist, psychosocial, and political economy (structural) accounts. In each case, the chapter briefly explains the rationale and evidence underlying such accounts before considering key criticisms. Finally, the chapter provides a brief account of the UK’s policy responses to health inequalities, considering potential explanations for why these policy efforts appear to have had limited success in reducing health inequalities and examining the extent to which post-1997 interventions have reflected the available evidence.
David A. Leon and Gill Walt
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780192631961
- eISBN:
- 9780191723599
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780192631961.003.0010
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter discusses two topics related to health inequalities: the measurement of health inequality and social inequalities as determinants of health status. It suggests an alternative framework ...
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This chapter discusses two topics related to health inequalities: the measurement of health inequality and social inequalities as determinants of health status. It suggests an alternative framework for studying health inequality, wherein ‘health inequality’ refers to the variation in health status across individuals in a population. This is a use distinct from the concept of health inequalities used in studies of health differences between social groups. The use of ‘health inequality’ to refer to a composite measure of individual-level variation is consistent with other disciplines studying inequality across individuals.Less
This chapter discusses two topics related to health inequalities: the measurement of health inequality and social inequalities as determinants of health status. It suggests an alternative framework for studying health inequality, wherein ‘health inequality’ refers to the variation in health status across individuals in a population. This is a use distinct from the concept of health inequalities used in studies of health differences between social groups. The use of ‘health inequality’ to refer to a composite measure of individual-level variation is consistent with other disciplines studying inequality across individuals.
Clare Bambra
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199588299
- eISBN:
- 9780191731372
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199588299.003.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
This introductory chapter shows how work and worklessness are not the discrete activities of individuals but essential parts of the way in which the totality of society is organized politically, ...
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This introductory chapter shows how work and worklessness are not the discrete activities of individuals but essential parts of the way in which the totality of society is organized politically, socially, and economically. Work based hierarchies are reflected to greater or lesser extents in wider societal hierarchies, and socio-economic class is determined largely by occupation and work-related income. Work and worklessness and their relationships with health and health inequalities therefore exist within the broader political and economic structures of society. The chapter is divided into three main sections. The first examines the key concepts of work and worklessness, focusing on their relationship with the state in advanced market democracies. The second section provides an overview of the social determinants of health and health inequalities. The final part of the chapter reflects on matters of structure and agency in explaining the relationship between work, worklessness, and health.Less
This introductory chapter shows how work and worklessness are not the discrete activities of individuals but essential parts of the way in which the totality of society is organized politically, socially, and economically. Work based hierarchies are reflected to greater or lesser extents in wider societal hierarchies, and socio-economic class is determined largely by occupation and work-related income. Work and worklessness and their relationships with health and health inequalities therefore exist within the broader political and economic structures of society. The chapter is divided into three main sections. The first examines the key concepts of work and worklessness, focusing on their relationship with the state in advanced market democracies. The second section provides an overview of the social determinants of health and health inequalities. The final part of the chapter reflects on matters of structure and agency in explaining the relationship between work, worklessness, and health.
Dennis Raphael and Toba Bryant
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780198703358
- eISBN:
- 9780191772603
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198703358.003.0004
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter reflects on the insights UK research and policy experiences have offered those working to address health inequalities in Canada and the USA. Written by leading Canadian experts on the ...
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This chapter reflects on the insights UK research and policy experiences have offered those working to address health inequalities in Canada and the USA. Written by leading Canadian experts on the social determinants of health, it argues that the UK has provided researchers and policymakers with numerous insights into how to conceptualize, research, and act to reduce health inequalities, whilst also summarizing some of the key contributions that Canadian and American researchers have made to health inequalities debates. The authors argue that, whilst policy developments in the USA have been extremely limited when it comes to health inequalities, there are reasons to be more optimistic about the possibilities for addressing health inequalities and the social determinants of health in Canada.Less
This chapter reflects on the insights UK research and policy experiences have offered those working to address health inequalities in Canada and the USA. Written by leading Canadian experts on the social determinants of health, it argues that the UK has provided researchers and policymakers with numerous insights into how to conceptualize, research, and act to reduce health inequalities, whilst also summarizing some of the key contributions that Canadian and American researchers have made to health inequalities debates. The authors argue that, whilst policy developments in the USA have been extremely limited when it comes to health inequalities, there are reasons to be more optimistic about the possibilities for addressing health inequalities and the social determinants of health in Canada.
Margaret Douglas
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780198703358
- eISBN:
- 9780191772603
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198703358.003.0008
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
Drawing on personal experiences of working to reduce health inequalities in policy and practice, this chapter reflects on the ongoing failure to effectively reduce health inequalities in the UK. It ...
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Drawing on personal experiences of working to reduce health inequalities in policy and practice, this chapter reflects on the ongoing failure to effectively reduce health inequalities in the UK. It points out that, whilst social inequality is now accepted as a key determinant underpinning health inequalities, it tends not to be viewed in the same way as other health determinants have been in public health. Hence, rather than asking how to reduce exposure to the inequalities in income, wealth, power, and status that lead to poorer health, we often accept social inequality as a given and ask instead how we can direct health services and health promotion interventions to the groups of people who are most disadvantaged. The chapter considers some reasons for this, including the emphasis that tends to be placed on ‘health’ in framing health inequalities, and discusses potential consequences for research and actions to reduce health inequalities.Less
Drawing on personal experiences of working to reduce health inequalities in policy and practice, this chapter reflects on the ongoing failure to effectively reduce health inequalities in the UK. It points out that, whilst social inequality is now accepted as a key determinant underpinning health inequalities, it tends not to be viewed in the same way as other health determinants have been in public health. Hence, rather than asking how to reduce exposure to the inequalities in income, wealth, power, and status that lead to poorer health, we often accept social inequality as a given and ask instead how we can direct health services and health promotion interventions to the groups of people who are most disadvantaged. The chapter considers some reasons for this, including the emphasis that tends to be placed on ‘health’ in framing health inequalities, and discusses potential consequences for research and actions to reduce health inequalities.
Bhopal Raj S.
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780198568179
- eISBN:
- 9780191724091
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198568179.003.0006
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter argues that inequalities in health and health care by racial and ethnic group are abundant but their underlying cause, and the contribution of racism, is a complex and much debated ...
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This chapter argues that inequalities in health and health care by racial and ethnic group are abundant but their underlying cause, and the contribution of racism, is a complex and much debated matter. The major cause of inequalities in health, and even more of inequalities in access to health care, is inequality in wealth. Topics discussed include the genesis of inequalities in health status; forces underpinning ethnicity and race, and their relation to those generating inequalities in health; measuring ethnic inequalities in health; and the dimension of, and trends in, inequalities by ethnicity and race.Less
This chapter argues that inequalities in health and health care by racial and ethnic group are abundant but their underlying cause, and the contribution of racism, is a complex and much debated matter. The major cause of inequalities in health, and even more of inequalities in access to health care, is inequality in wealth. Topics discussed include the genesis of inequalities in health status; forces underpinning ethnicity and race, and their relation to those generating inequalities in health; measuring ethnic inequalities in health; and the dimension of, and trends in, inequalities by ethnicity and race.
Johan Fritzell and Olle Lundberg (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781861347589
- eISBN:
- 9781447302483
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781861347589.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Health, Illness, and Medicine
How welfare states influence population health and health inequalities has long been debated but less well tested by empirical research. This book presents new empirical evidence of the effects of ...
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How welfare states influence population health and health inequalities has long been debated but less well tested by empirical research. This book presents new empirical evidence of the effects of Swedish welfare state structures and policies on the lives of Swedish citizens. The discussion, analysis, and innovative theoretical approaches developed in the book have implications for health research and policy beyond Scandinavian borders. Drawing on a rich source of longitudinal data, the Swedish Level of Living Surveys (LNU), and other data, the authors shed light on a number of pertinent issues in health inequality research while at the same time showing how health inequalities have evolved in Sweden over several decades. Topics covered include: how structural conditions relating to family, socio-economic conditions, and the welfare state are important in producing health inequalities; how health inequalities change over the lifecourse; and the impact of environment on health inequalities — at home, at school, and in the workplace.Less
How welfare states influence population health and health inequalities has long been debated but less well tested by empirical research. This book presents new empirical evidence of the effects of Swedish welfare state structures and policies on the lives of Swedish citizens. The discussion, analysis, and innovative theoretical approaches developed in the book have implications for health research and policy beyond Scandinavian borders. Drawing on a rich source of longitudinal data, the Swedish Level of Living Surveys (LNU), and other data, the authors shed light on a number of pertinent issues in health inequality research while at the same time showing how health inequalities have evolved in Sweden over several decades. Topics covered include: how structural conditions relating to family, socio-economic conditions, and the welfare state are important in producing health inequalities; how health inequalities change over the lifecourse; and the impact of environment on health inequalities — at home, at school, and in the workplace.
David Leon and Gill Walt (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780192631961
- eISBN:
- 9780191723599
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780192631961.001.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This book raises new and critical issues about health inequalities. It provides an international perspective on this problem, with contributions from the developed and developing world. The outcome ...
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This book raises new and critical issues about health inequalities. It provides an international perspective on this problem, with contributions from the developed and developing world. The outcome of a Public Health Forum organized by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, this book brings together material from internationally recognised contributors from a wide range of disciplines and countries. The chapters reflect this diversity, ranging from the micro- to the macro-level, and from aetiology to intervention. Topics covered include: the over-arching concepts linking economic and social forces and health status the extent to which ethical concerns lie at the heart of the issue of inequalities in health and attempts to ameliorate them; macro-level features of inequalities in health within and between countries; an overview of the main body of work on inequalities in health in developed countries and those in transition within Europe; specific pathways and mechanisms at the individual level that link poverty and inequality to health status; the interaction of social and biological influences on health status throughout life; specific disease-specific links; and issues of policy and interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in health.Less
This book raises new and critical issues about health inequalities. It provides an international perspective on this problem, with contributions from the developed and developing world. The outcome of a Public Health Forum organized by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, this book brings together material from internationally recognised contributors from a wide range of disciplines and countries. The chapters reflect this diversity, ranging from the micro- to the macro-level, and from aetiology to intervention. Topics covered include: the over-arching concepts linking economic and social forces and health status the extent to which ethical concerns lie at the heart of the issue of inequalities in health and attempts to ameliorate them; macro-level features of inequalities in health within and between countries; an overview of the main body of work on inequalities in health in developed countries and those in transition within Europe; specific pathways and mechanisms at the individual level that link poverty and inequality to health status; the interaction of social and biological influences on health status throughout life; specific disease-specific links; and issues of policy and interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in health.
Katherine E. Smith, Clare Bambra, and Sarah E. Hill (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780198703358
- eISBN:
- 9780191772603
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198703358.001.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
The UK has been recognized as a global leader in health inequalities research and policy. Yet, despite post-1997 policy commitments, by most measures the UK’s health inequalities have continued to ...
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The UK has been recognized as a global leader in health inequalities research and policy. Yet, despite post-1997 policy commitments, by most measures the UK’s health inequalities have continued to widen. This failure has prompted calls for new approaches to health inequalities research and policy, alongside a growing sense that public health researchers ought to be more actively involved in ‘public health advocacy’. However, there is currently no agreement as to what these new research agendas should be or precisely what it is that public health egalitarians ought to be advocating. This book aims to address these gaps. It begins by taking stock of the UK’s experiences of health inequalities research and policy to date, reflecting on the lessons that have been learnt from these experiences, both within the UK and internationally. It then moves on to identify emergent research and policy topics, exploring the perspectives of actors working in a range of professional settings on these agendas. Finally, the book considers potential ways of improving the links between health inequalities research, policy, and practice, including via advocacy.Less
The UK has been recognized as a global leader in health inequalities research and policy. Yet, despite post-1997 policy commitments, by most measures the UK’s health inequalities have continued to widen. This failure has prompted calls for new approaches to health inequalities research and policy, alongside a growing sense that public health researchers ought to be more actively involved in ‘public health advocacy’. However, there is currently no agreement as to what these new research agendas should be or precisely what it is that public health egalitarians ought to be advocating. This book aims to address these gaps. It begins by taking stock of the UK’s experiences of health inequalities research and policy to date, reflecting on the lessons that have been learnt from these experiences, both within the UK and internationally. It then moves on to identify emergent research and policy topics, exploring the perspectives of actors working in a range of professional settings on these agendas. Finally, the book considers potential ways of improving the links between health inequalities research, policy, and practice, including via advocacy.
Hilary Graham and Chris Power
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199563623
- eISBN:
- 9780191722554
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199563623.003.05
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter begins by looking at three concepts which underpin research and policy to promote people's health: inequalities, equity, and risk. It then discusses how childhood conditions influence ...
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This chapter begins by looking at three concepts which underpin research and policy to promote people's health: inequalities, equity, and risk. It then discusses how childhood conditions influence adult health, pointing to the importance of a set of interconnected pathways that operate from before birth and across the life course. It presents a framework which captures these processes. This framework is applied to UK policies in order to illustrate how it can inform policy review and development.Less
This chapter begins by looking at three concepts which underpin research and policy to promote people's health: inequalities, equity, and risk. It then discusses how childhood conditions influence adult health, pointing to the importance of a set of interconnected pathways that operate from before birth and across the life course. It presents a framework which captures these processes. This framework is applied to UK policies in order to illustrate how it can inform policy review and development.
David J. Hunter
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847424631
- eISBN:
- 9781447303978
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847424631.001.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
Health systems everywhere are experiencing rapid change in response to new threats to health, including from lifestyle diseases, risks of pandemic flu, and the global effects of climate change, but ...
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Health systems everywhere are experiencing rapid change in response to new threats to health, including from lifestyle diseases, risks of pandemic flu, and the global effects of climate change, but health inequalities continue to widen. Such developments have profound implications for the future direction of public health policy and practice. This book offers a wide-ranging, provocative assessment of challenges confronting a public health system, exploring how its parameters have shifted and what the origins of dilemmas in public health practice are.Less
Health systems everywhere are experiencing rapid change in response to new threats to health, including from lifestyle diseases, risks of pandemic flu, and the global effects of climate change, but health inequalities continue to widen. Such developments have profound implications for the future direction of public health policy and practice. This book offers a wide-ranging, provocative assessment of challenges confronting a public health system, exploring how its parameters have shifted and what the origins of dilemmas in public health practice are.
Malcolm Payne
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199599295
- eISBN:
- 9780191731532
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199599295.003.0023
- Subject:
- Palliative Care, Patient Care and End-of-Life Decision Making
This chapter argues that understanding and tackling poverty is an important aspect of end of life care, because it reduces social exclusion and forgone care. The importance of poverty as a source of ...
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This chapter argues that understanding and tackling poverty is an important aspect of end of life care, because it reduces social exclusion and forgone care. The importance of poverty as a source of the inequality and social difference that underlies the social determinants of health inequalities suggests that health care services and policy need a stronger focus on understanding and responding to poverty. Because poverty is multi-dimensional, aligned with other forms of deprivation and inequality, it contributes to the social exclusion of particular groups from participation in society. This arises because people are unable to accumulate social and cultural as well as economic capital in their lives, within families and communities. As a result, interventions on health inequalities must tackle wide aspects of social exclusion, rather than focusing solely on health care services. The chapter also examines the consequences of this analysis of social exclusion for end of life and palliative care. It reviews opportunities for interventions that can contribute to achieving international and national policies on poverty, social difference, and social exclusion, and ensuring that services for dying and bereaved people are not forgone.Less
This chapter argues that understanding and tackling poverty is an important aspect of end of life care, because it reduces social exclusion and forgone care. The importance of poverty as a source of the inequality and social difference that underlies the social determinants of health inequalities suggests that health care services and policy need a stronger focus on understanding and responding to poverty. Because poverty is multi-dimensional, aligned with other forms of deprivation and inequality, it contributes to the social exclusion of particular groups from participation in society. This arises because people are unable to accumulate social and cultural as well as economic capital in their lives, within families and communities. As a result, interventions on health inequalities must tackle wide aspects of social exclusion, rather than focusing solely on health care services. The chapter also examines the consequences of this analysis of social exclusion for end of life and palliative care. It reviews opportunities for interventions that can contribute to achieving international and national policies on poverty, social difference, and social exclusion, and ensuring that services for dying and bereaved people are not forgone.
Sheena Asthana and Joyce Halliday
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781861346742
- eISBN:
- 9781447304258
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781861346742.003.0002
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
This chapter examines the research on health inequalities in Great Britain. It explains that the Black Report had a limited impact on policy making during the 1980s and much of the 1990s but it ...
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This chapter examines the research on health inequalities in Great Britain. It explains that the Black Report had a limited impact on policy making during the 1980s and much of the 1990s but it stimulated extensive research into health inequalities by social scientists and, increasingly, epidemiologists. Some research presented different explanatory frameworks for the persistence of variations in health while others highlighted the relationship between health risk factors and socioeconomic position at an individual level. However, research on the role of socio-structural factors in health has not advanced greatly.Less
This chapter examines the research on health inequalities in Great Britain. It explains that the Black Report had a limited impact on policy making during the 1980s and much of the 1990s but it stimulated extensive research into health inequalities by social scientists and, increasingly, epidemiologists. Some research presented different explanatory frameworks for the persistence of variations in health while others highlighted the relationship between health risk factors and socioeconomic position at an individual level. However, research on the role of socio-structural factors in health has not advanced greatly.
Clare Bambra
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847426604
- eISBN:
- 9781447305583
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847426604.003.0007
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
This chapter examines health inequality — its definition, measurement and theory — and then examines the role of welfare states in determining overall population health outcomes. The main studies in ...
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This chapter examines health inequality — its definition, measurement and theory — and then examines the role of welfare states in determining overall population health outcomes. The main studies in the comparative epidemiological literature on European health inequalities are then summarised, with a focus on the relative performance of the Nordic welfare states. The effects on health inequalities of changes to the Nordic welfare state are also examined. The chapter then uses the theories of health inequalities to examine why it is that the highly decommodifying Nordic welfare states do not have the smallest health inequalities in Europe. It concludes by reflecting on how any further changes to the Nordic welfare model may impact on health inequalities in the future.Less
This chapter examines health inequality — its definition, measurement and theory — and then examines the role of welfare states in determining overall population health outcomes. The main studies in the comparative epidemiological literature on European health inequalities are then summarised, with a focus on the relative performance of the Nordic welfare states. The effects on health inequalities of changes to the Nordic welfare state are also examined. The chapter then uses the theories of health inequalities to examine why it is that the highly decommodifying Nordic welfare states do not have the smallest health inequalities in Europe. It concludes by reflecting on how any further changes to the Nordic welfare model may impact on health inequalities in the future.
