Health status, Neighbourhood effects and Public choice: Evidence from France

Thierry Debrand, Aurélie Pierre, Caroline Allonier and Véronique Lucas-Gabrielli

No DT11, Working Papers from IRDES institut for research and information in health economics

Abstract: Observation of socioeconomic statistics between different neighbourhoods highlights significant differences for economic indicators, social indicators and health indicators. The issue faced here is determining the origins of health inequalities: individual effects and neighbourhood effects. Using National Health Survey and French census data from the period 2002-2003, we attempt to measure the individual and collective determinants of Self-Reported Health Status (SRH). By using a principal component analysis of aggregated census data, we obtain three synthetic factors called: "economic and social condition", "mobility" and "generational" and show that these contextual factors are correlated with individual SRHs. Since the 80s, different French governments have formulated public policies in order to take into account the specific problems of disadvantaged and deprived neighbourhoods. In view to concentrating national assistance, the French government has created "zones urbaines sensibles" (ZUS) [Critical Urban Areas, CUA]. Our research shows that in spite of implementing public policy in France to combat health inequalities, by only taking into account the CUA criterion (the fact of being in a CUA or not), many inequalities remain ignored and thus hidden.

Keywords: Health; Neighbourhood Effect; Housing policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 I30 R2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-ure
Date: 2008-06, Revised 2008-06

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