Socioeconomic inequalities in health: a comparative longitudinal analysis using the European Community Household Panel

Cristina Hernández-Quevedo (), Andrew Jones, Ángel López Nicolás () and Nigel Rice

Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers from HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York

Abstract: We measure socioeconomic inequalities in health across European Union Member States between 1994 and 2001. The analysis is based on the European Community Household Panel Users’ Database (ECHP-UDB) and uses two binary indicators of health limitations for the full 8 waves of available data. Short-run and long-run concentration indices together with mobility and health achievement indices are derived for indicators of severe health limitation and any health limitation. Results demonstrate the existence of “pro-rich” inequality in health across Member States in both the short-term and the long-term, with health limitations concentrated among those with lower incomes. For all countries, the long-run indices show that income-related inequalities in health are widening over time, in the sense that the longer the period over which health and income are measured, the greater is the measure of income-related health inequality. The ranking of countries by long-run inequalities differs from that by overall health achievement; an equity-efficiency trade-off has to be faced in evaluating their performance and comparing countries with diverse health and social welfare systems.

Keywords: health inequality; social mobility; panel data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005-10
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

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Journal Article: Socioeconomic inequalities in health: A comparative longitudinal analysis using the European Community Household Panel (2006)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:yor:hectdg:05/12

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