Bread and Social Justice: Measurement of Social Welfare and Inequality Using Anthropometrics

Mohammad Abu-Zaineh and Ramses Abul Naga

No 2021-02, Working Papers from Universidad de Málaga, Department of Economic Theory, Málaga Economic Theory Research Center

Abstract: We address the question of the measurement of health achievement and inequality in the context of variables exhibiting an inverted-U relation with health and well-being. The chosen approach is to measure separately achievement and inequality in the health increasing range of the variable, from a lower survival bound ?? to an optimum value ??, and in the health decreasing range from ?? to an upper survival bound ??. Because in the health decreasing range, the equally distributed equivalent value associated with a distribution is decreasing in progressive transfers, the paper introduces appropriate relative and absolute achievement and inequality indices to be used for variables exhibiting a negative association with well-being. We then discuss questions pertaining to consistent measurement across health attainments and shortfalls, as well as the ordering of distributions exhibiting an inverted-U relation with well-being. An illustration of the methodology is provided using a group of five Arab countries.

Keywords: anthropometrics; health achievement and inequality; survival thresholds; Arab countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I14 I15 O5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 40 pages
Date: 2021-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ara and nep-hap
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https://theeconomics.uma.es/malagawpseries/Papers/METCwp2021-2.pdf First version, 2021 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Bread and Social Justice: Measurement of Social Welfare and Inequality Using Anthropometrics (2023)
Working Paper: Bread and Social Justice: Measurement of Social Welfare and Inequality Using Anthropometrics (2023)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mal:wpaper:2021-2

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