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Health inequalities and welfare state regimes: a research note
Gesundheitliche Ungleichheiten und Wohlfahrtsstaatenregime: eine Forschungsnotiz
[journal article]
Abstract Aim: Comparative research on health and health inequalities has recently begun implementing a welfare regime perspective. The aim of the study was to review the existing evidence for identifying the determinants of health and health inequalities in highly developed welfare states and to develop a th... view more
Aim: Comparative research on health and health inequalities has recently begun implementing a welfare regime perspective. The aim of the study was to review the existing evidence for identifying the determinants of health and health inequalities in highly developed welfare states and to develop a theoretical model for future research approaches. Subject: A welfare state regime typology is applied to comparatively analyse (1) the relationship between the level of economic prosperity in a society and its respective level of overall population health and (2) the nature of the corresponding relationship between economic inequalities and health inequalities in different groups of countries. Results: Although the Social Democratic welfare states have a relatively equal distribution of material wealth as well as the highest levels of population health, they are not characterised by the smallest levels of health inequality. Rather, with respect to health equality, conservative countries seem to perform better than social democracies. We propose a comprehensive theoretical model that takes into account different factors on the structural (macro), organisational (meso) and individual (micro) level in order to contribute to a better understanding of this important challenge for public health policy and practice. Conclusion: Future research will require an appropriate theoretical model with the potential to explain health and health inequalities in different types of welfare states. On the basis of this model, future research should test the hypothesis that in highly developed countries not only economic, but also social, cultural and lifestyle factors are important in determining health outcomes in different segments of the population.... view less
Keywords
cultural factors; public health; international comparison; welfare state; life style; socioeconomic factors; social inequality; health policy; social factors; health
Classification
Medical Sociology
Health Policy
Method
applied research; basic research
Free Keywords
Welfare state; Health inequalities; Economic inequalities; Social determinants of health; Scandinavian paradox; Health-sensitive public policy
Document language
English
Publication Year
2010
Page/Pages
p. 3-13
Journal
Journal of Public Health, 19 (2010) 1
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-010-0359-1
Status
Postprint; peer reviewed
Licence
PEER Licence Agreement (applicable only to documents from PEER project)