Systematization of Socioeconomic Factors that Determine Health Inequality: A Literature Review | Vestnik Tomskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta – Tomsk State University Journal. 2021. № 468. DOI: 10.17223/15617793/468/12

Systematization of Socioeconomic Factors that Determine Health Inequality: A Literature Review

Academic and expert community is continuously researching all aspects of inequality. However, problems of inequality in healthcare (due to objective circumstances (ethnicity, gender, etc.) and settings in which people are born, grow up, work, and age) have been studied to a lesser extent. The study aims to summarize and analyze literature on the identification and systematization of socioeconomic factors affecting inequality in health on individual and population levels. Health factors are primarily determined by a person's socioeconomic position (SEP), including education, income, and occupation. Socio-economic factors that determine inequality in health are all factors that affect the absolute and relative (relative to other members of the society in which the individual lives) social and economic situation of a person. In addition to them, the analysis includes institutions that potentially influence a person's health: a person, at their own free will or in connection with established norms, interacts with these institutions regularly during their life. A literature review using the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Russian Science Citation Index databases was carried out. The search depth by the time parameter had no restrictions. The keywords “socioeconomic status”, “socioeconomic position”, “inequality in health”, “health factors” were used to analyze more than 350 publications. The analysis allowed us to divide socioeconomic factors into the following categories and subcategories related to education (level of education of a person, level of education of a partner, gender differences in education, medical awareness), welfare and financial security (level of income, income inequality in society, macroeconomic parameters), employment and labor relations (nature and conditions of work, support of employment by the state), environmental factors (ecology and climate, physical habitat, social environment, health care). The factors are also systematized according to the levels of influence: individual level (micro-level), a person's inner circle (meso-level), and society as a whole (macro-level). The study identifies the relationship between various aspects of a person's SEP and their health for the majority of the factor groups for both developed and developing countries. The study results amend and strengthen arguments confirming the importance of the effective functioning of institutions responsible for the health of the population and explain their institutional roles for improving the quality of life and well-being of citizens throughout their life trajectories. In this regard, a systematic study of the factors that determine inequality in health creates conditions for improving the quality of the institutional framework and substantiating the effectiveness of measures aimed at minimizing inequality in health at the micro-, meso-, macro-levels for increasing the well-being of the entire socioeconomic system.

Download file

Counter downloads: 46

Keywords

health, inequality, socioeconomic factors, institutions, education, income, employment, environment

Authors

Name	Organization	E-mail
Shibalkov Ivan P.	Siberian State Medical University	shibalkov.ivan@yandex.ru
Pavlova Irina A.	Tomsk Polytechnic University; Tomsk Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics	iapav@mail.ru
Nedospasova Olga P.	Tomsk Polytechnic University; Tomsk State University	olgaeconomy@mail.ru
Tagina Ekaterina K.	Siberian State Medical University	taginaekaterina@gmail.com

Всего: 4

References

World Values Survey (WVS) database. World Values Survey Association, 2020. URL: https://www.worldvaluessurvey.org (дата обращения: 05.11.2020).

Вайнер Э.Н. Валеология : учеб. для вузов. М. : Флинта, 2016. 445 с.

Adler N.E., Newman K. Socioeconomic Disparities In Health: Pathways And Policies // Health Affairs. 2002. № 2. P. 60-76.

Braveman P., Gottlieb L. The Social Determinants of Health: It's Time to Consider the Causes of the Causes // Public Health Reports. 2014. № 129. P. 19-31.

Ross C.E., Wu C. The Links between Education and Health // American Sociological Review. 1995. № 10. P. 719-745.

How's Life? 2020: Measuring Well-being. OECD, 2020. URL: https://www.oecd.org/statistics/how-s-life-23089679.htm (дата обращения: 15.10.2020).

Health at a Glance 2019: OECD Indicators. OECD, 2019. URL: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/health-at-a-glance- 2019_4dd50c09-en (дата обращения: 05.11.2020).

Machon M., Mosquera I., Larranaga I., Martin U., Vergara I. Socioeconomic inequalities in health among the elderly population in Spain // Gac Sanit. 2020. № 34 (3). P. 276-288. DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2019.06.008.

Adjiwanou V., Bougma M., LeGrand T. The effect of partners' education on women's reproductive and maternal health in developing countries // Social Science & Medicine. 2018. № 197. P. 104-115. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.11.054.

Murtin F., et al. Inequalities in longevity by education in OECD countries: insights from new OECD estimates. Paris: OECD Publishing, OECD Statistics Working Papers, 2017. № 2017/2. URL: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/inequalities-in-longevity-by-education-in-oecd-countries_6b64d9cf-en (дата обращения: 07.07.2020).

Mensch B.S., Chuang E.K., Melnikas A.J., Psaki S.R. Evidence for causal links between education and maternal and child health: systematic review // Trop Med Int Health. 2019. № 24 (5). P. 504-522. DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13218.

Kidman R., Heymann J. Prioritising action to accelerate gender equity and health for women and girls: Microdata analysis of 47 countries // Glob Public Health. 2018. № 13 (11). P. 1634-1649. DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2018.1427272.

Richards E., Theobald S., George A. et al. Going beyond the surface: gendered intra-household bargaining as a social determinant of child health and nutrition in low and middle income countries // Social Science & Medicine. 2013. № 95. P. 24-33. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.06.015.

Hultin H., Lundberg M., Lundin A., Magnusson C. Do overeducated individuals have increased risks of ill health?: a Swedish population-based cohort study // Sociol Health Illn. 2016. № 38 (6). P. 980-995. DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.12419.

Stormacq C., Van den Broucke S., Wosinski J. Does health literacy mediate the relationship between socioeconomic status and health disparities? Integrative review // Health Promot Int. 2019. № 34 (5). P. 1-17. DOI: 10.1093/heapro/day062.

Smith J. Healthy bodies and thick wallets: the dual relation between health and economic status // Journal of Economic Perspective. 1999. № 13 (2). P. 145-166.

Raleigh V. Trends in life expectancy in EU and other OECD countries: Why are improvements slowing? Paris: OECD Publishing, OECD Health Working Papers, 2019. № 108. URL: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/trends-in-life-expectancy-in-eu-and-other-oecd-countries_223159ab-en (дата обращения: 06.08.2020).

Rausch C., Liang Y., Bultmann U. et al. Social position and geriatric syndromes among Swedish older people: a population-based study // BMC Geriatr. 2019. № 267. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-019-1295-8.

Whillans J., Nazroo J. Social Inequality and Visual Impairment in Older People // The Journals of Gerontology: Series B. 2018. № 73, Is. 3. P. 532-542. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbv163.

Cai J., Coyte P.C., Zhao H. Determinants of and socio-economic disparities in self-rated health in China // Int J. Equity Health. 2017. № 7. DOI: 10.1186/s12939-016-0496-4.

Rose G. Sick Individuals and Sick Populations // International Journal of Epidemiology. 1985. № 14. P. 32-38.

Lynch J., Davey Smith G., Harper S. Is Income Inequality a Determinant of Population Health? Part 1. A Systematic Review // Milbank Q. 2004. № 82 (1). P. 5-99.

Cushing L., Morello-Frosch R., Wander M. The Haves, the Have-Nots, and the Health of Everyone: The Relationship Between Social Inequality and Environmental Quality // Annu. Rev. Public Health. 2015. № 36. P. 193-209.

Kondo N., Sembajwe G., Kawachi I. Income inequality, mortality, and self rated health: meta-analysis of multilevel studies // British Medical Journal. 2009. № 339. P. 441-447.

Lynch J., Davey Smith G., Kaplan G.A. Income Inequality and Mortality: Importance to Health of Individual Income, Psychosocial Environment, or Material Conditions // British Medical Journal. 2000. № 320 (7243). P. 1200-1204.

Truesdale B.C., Jencks C. The Health Effects of Income Inequality: Averages and Disparities // Annu. Rev. Public Health. 2016. № 37. P. 413430. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032315-021606.

Sharma R. Health and economic growth: Evidence from dynamic panel data of 143 years // PLoS One. 2018. № 13 (10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204940.

Curran M., Mahutga M.C. Income Inequality and Population Health: A Global Gradient? // J. Health Soc. Behav. 2018. № 59 (4). P. 536-553. DOI: 10.1177/0022146518808028.

Dieker A.C., IJzelenberg W., Proper K.I. et al. The contribution of work and lifestyle factors to socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated health - a systematic review // Scand. J. Work Environ Health. 2019. № 45 (2). P. 114-125. DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.3772.

Lahelma E., Martikainen P., Rahkonen O., Roos E., Saastamoinen P. Occupational class inequalities across key domains of health: results from the Helsinki Health Study // Eur. J. Public Health. 2005. № 15 (5). P. 504-510. DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/cki022.

Vanroelen C. Employment Quality: An Overlooked Determinant of Workers' Health and Well-being? // Ann. Work Expo. Health. 2019. № 63 (6). P. 619-623. DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxz049.

Balaj M., McNamara C.L., Eikemo T.A., Bambra C. The social determinants of inequalities in self-reported health in Europe: findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health // Eur. J. Public Health. 2017. № 27. P. 107-114. DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckw217.

Cylus J., Glymour M.M., Avendano M. Health effects of unemployment benefit program generosity // Am. J. Public Health. 2015. № 105 (2). P. 317-323. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302253.

Gibson M., Hearty W., Craig P. The public health effects of interventions similar to basic income: a scoping review // Lancet Public Health. 2020. № 5 (3). P. 165-176. DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30005-0.

Sun Z., Zhu D. Exposure to outdoor air pollution and its human health outcomes: A scoping review // PLoS One. 2019. № 14 (5). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216550.

Nieuwenhuijsen M.J. Urban and transport planning, environmental exposures and health-new concepts, methods and tools to improve health in cities // Environ Health. 2016. № S38. DOI: 10.1186/s12940-016-0108-1.

Li J., Zhang X. Beach Pollution Effects on Health and Productivity in California // Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019. № 16 (11). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16111987.

Zeng S., Ma J., Yang Y., Zhang S., Liu G.J., Chen F. Spatial assessment of farmland soil pollution and its potential human health risks in China // Sci. Total Environ. 2019. № 687. P. 642-653. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.291.

Life expectancy and Healthy life expectancy: data by country. WHO, Global Health Observatory data repository, 2020. URL: https://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.688?lang=en (дата обращения: 20.10.2020).

Gjonsa A., Bobak M. Albanian paradox, another example of protective effect of Mediterranean lifestyle // Lancet. 1997. № 350. P. 1815-1817.

Wasserman D., Varnik A. Reliability of statistics on violent death and suicide in the former USSR, 1970-1990 // Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 1998. № 98. P. 34-41.

Средняя ожидаемая продолжительность жизни при рождении. ЕМИСС, 2020. URL: https://www.fedstat.ru/indicator/31293? (дата обращения: 12.09.2020).

Rees E.E., Ng V., Gachon P. et al. Risk assessment strategies for early detection and prediction of infectious disease outbreaks associated with climate change // Can. Commun. Dis. Rep. 2019. № 45 (5). P. 119-126. DOI: 10.14745/ccdr.v45i05a02.

Weitzman M. Recent Trends in the Prevalence and Severity of Childhood Asthma // Journal of the American Medical Association. 1992. № 19. P. 2673-2677.

Zhang T. The effects of economic development and built environment on diabetes in CHINA // Popul. Health Metr. 2017. № 15 (1). DOI: 10.1186/s12963-017-0152-2.

Nieuwenhuijsen M.J. Influence of urban and transport planning and the city environment on cardiovascular disease // Nat. Rev. Cardiol. 2018. № 15 (7). P. 432-438. DOI: 10.1038/s41569-018-0003-2.

Mueller N., Rojas-Rueda D., Basagana X., et al. Urban and Transport Planning Related Exposures and Mortality: A Health Impact Assessment for Cities // Environ Health Perspect. 2017. № 125 (1). P. 89-96. DOI: 10.1289/EHP220.

Berkman L.F., Glass T. Social Epidemiology: Social Integration, Social Networks, Social Support, and Health. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. P. 137-173.

Sampson R.J., Raudenbush S.W., Earls F. Neighborhoods and Violent Crime: A Multilevel Study of Collective Efficacy // Science. 1997. № 5328. P. 918-924.

Kawachi I., Kennedy B.P. Socioeconomic Determinants of Health: Health and Social Cohesion: Why Care About Income Inequality? // British Medical Journal. 1997. № 314. P. 1037-1040.

Blazquez-Fernandez C., Cantarero-Prieto D., Pascual-Saez M. Health expenditure and socio-economic determinants of life expectancy in the OECD Asia/Pacific area countries // Applied Economics Letters. 2017. № 24, Is. 3. P. 167-169. DOI: 10.1080/13504851.2016.1173174.

Van den Heuvel W.J., Olaroiu M. How important are health care expenditures for life expectancy? A comparative European analysis // J Am Med Dir. Assoc. 2017. № 18 (3). DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2016.11.027.

The Global Health Expenditure Database (GHED). World Health Organization, 2020. URL: https://apps.who.int/nha/database (дата обращения: 23.09.2020).

Wood E. Social Inequalities in Male Mortality Amenable to Medical Intervention in British Columbia // Social Science and Medicine. 1999. № 12. P. 1751-1758.

Alvarez F.N., El-Sayed A.M. National income inequality and ineffective health insurance in 35 low- and middle-income countries // Health Policy Plan. 2017. № 32 (4). P. 487-492. DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czw156.

El-Sayed A.M., Vail D., Kruk M.E. Ineffective insurance in lower and middle income countries is an obstacle to universal health coverage // J. Glob. Health. 2018. № 8 (2). DOI: 10.7189/jogh.08.020402.

Нарская Н.В. Здоровье и социальное неравенство в РФ // Вестник Южно-Уральского государственного университета. Серия: Социально-гуманитарные науки. 2014. № 1, т. 14. С. 97-99.

Pathirana T.I., Jackson C.A. Socioeconomic status and multimorbidity: a systematic review and meta-analysis // Aust. N. Z. J. Public Health. 2018. № 42 (2). P. 186-194. DOI: 10.1111/1753-6405.12762.

Darin-Mattsson A., Fors S., Kareholt I. Different indicators of socioeconomic status and their relative importance as determinants of health in old age // Int. J. Equity Health. 2017. № 16 (1). DOI: 10.1186/s12939-017-0670-3.

Klomp J., de Haan J. Is the political system really related to health? // Soc. Sci. Medicine. 2009. № 69. P. 36-46.

Krueger P.M., Dovel K., Denney J.T. Democracy and self-rated health across 67 countries: A multilevel analysis // Soc. Sci. Med. 2015. № 143. P. 137-144. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.08.047.

Brown T.H., Hargrove T.W., Griffith D.M. Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Men's Health: Examining Psychosocial Mechanisms // Fam. Community Health. 2015. № 38 (4). P. 307-318. DOI: 10.1097/FCH.0000000000000080.

Jones A. Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Health during Childhood: A Longitudinal Examination of Racial/Ethnic Differences in Parental Socioeconomic Timing and Child Obesity Risk // Int. J. Environ Res. Public Health. 2018. № 15 (4). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15040728.

Campos B., Kim H.S. Incorporating the cultural diversity of family and close relationships into the study of health // Am. Psychol. 2017. № 72 (6). P. 543-554. DOI: 10.1037/amp0000122.

Link B.G., Phelan J. Social Conditions As Fundamental Causes of Disease // Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Extra Issue: Forty Years of Medical Sociology: The State of the Art and Directions for the Future. 1995. P. 80-94.

Cockerham W. Health Lifestyle Theory and the Convergence of Agency and Structure // Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 2005. № 46. P. 51-67.