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Gao Y, Zeng J, Liao Z, Yang J. Social transition, socioeconomic status and self-rated health in China: evidence from a national cross-sectional survey (CGSS). Front Public Health 2024; 12:1359609. [PMID: 38903586 PMCID: PMC11187279 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1359609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Social transition is one of the multi-level mechanisms that influence health disparities. However, it has received less attention as one of the non-traditional social determinants of health. A few studies have examined China's social transition and its impact on health inequality in self-rated health (SRH). Therefore, this study explores the impact of China's market-oriented reforms-social transition and socioeconomic status (SES)-on residents' SRH. Methods Using the cross-sectional data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) in 2017, we analyzed the effects of social transition and SES on the SRH of Chinese residents using the RIF (Recentered influence function) method. The RIF decomposition method investigated health differences among different populations and their determinants. Results Social transition and SES have significant positive effects on the SRH of Chinese residents. The correlation between SES and the SRH of Chinese residents is moderated by social transition, implying that social transition can weaken the correlation between SES and the SRH of Chinese residents. The impacts of SES and social transition on SRH vary across populations. Conclusion Promoting social transition and favoring disadvantaged groups with more resources are urgently needed to promote equitable health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Gao
- School of Public Administration, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing Zeng
- School of Management, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
| | - Zangyi Liao
- School of Political Science and Public Administration, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Yang
- School of Public Administration, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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2
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Han X, VanHeuvelen T, Mortimer JT, Parolin Z. Cumulative Unionization and Physical Health Disparities among Older Adults. JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 65:162-181. [PMID: 37904493 DOI: 10.1177/00221465231205266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Whereas previous research shows that union membership is associated with improved health, static measurements have been used to test dynamic theories linking the two. We construct a novel measure of cumulative unionization, tracking individuals across their entire careers, to examine health consequences in older adulthood. We use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (1970-2019) and predict self-rated health, functional limitations, and chronic health conditions in ages 60 to 79 using cumulative unionization measured during respondents' careers. Results from growth models show that unionized careers are associated with .25 SD to .30 SD improvements in health among older adults across all measures. Analyses of life course mechanisms reveal heterogeneous effects across unionization timing, age in older adulthood, and birth cohort. Moreover, subgroup analyses reveal unionization to partially, but not fully, ameliorate disparities based on privileged social positions. Our findings reveal a substantial and novel mechanism driving older adulthood health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowen Han
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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3
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SHIMONOVICH MICHAL, CAMPBELL MHAIRI, THOMSON RACHELM, BROADBENT PHILIP, WELLS VALERIE, KOPASKER DANIEL, McCARTNEY GERRY, THOMSON HILARY, PEARCE ANNA, KATIKIREDDI SVITTAL. Causal Assessment of Income Inequality on Self-Rated Health and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Milbank Q 2024; 102:141-182. [PMID: 38294094 PMCID: PMC10938942 DOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Policy Points Income is thought to impact a broad range of health outcomes. However, whether income inequality (how unequal the distribution of income is in a population) has an additional impact on health is extensively debated. Studies that use multilevel data, which have recently increased in popularity, are necessary to separate the contextual effects of income inequality on health from the effects of individual income on health. Our systematic review found only small associations between income inequality and poor self-rated health and all-cause mortality. The available evidence does not suggest causality, although it remains methodologically flawed and limited, with very few studies using natural experimental approaches or examining income inequality at the national level. CONTEXT Whether income inequality has a direct effect on health or is only associated because of the effect of individual income has long been debated. We aimed to understand the association between income inequality and self-rated health (SRH) and all-cause mortality (mortality) and assess if these relationships are likely to be causal. METHODS We searched Medline, ISI Web of Science, Embase, and EconLit (PROSPERO: CRD42021252791) for studies considering income inequality and SRH or mortality using multilevel data and adjusting for individual-level socioeconomic position. We calculated pooled odds ratios (ORs) for poor SRH and relative risk ratios (RRs) for mortality from random-effects meta-analyses. We critically appraised included studies using the Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies - of Interventions tool. We assessed certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework and causality using Bradford Hill (BH) viewpoints. FINDINGS The primary meta-analyses included 2,916,576 participants in 38 cross-sectional studies assessing SRH and 10,727,470 participants in 14 cohort studies of mortality. Per 0.05-unit increase in the Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, the ORs and RRs (95% confidence intervals) for SRH and mortality were 1.06 (1.03-1.08) and 1.02 (1.00-1.04), respectively. A total of 63.2% of SRH and 50.0% of mortality studies were at serious risk of bias (RoB), resulting in very low and low certainty ratings, respectively. For SRH and mortality, we did not identify relevant evidence to assess the specificity or, for SRH only, the experiment BH viewpoints; evidence for strength of association and dose-response gradient was inconclusive because of the high RoB; we found evidence in support of temporality and plausibility. CONCLUSIONS Increased income inequality is only marginally associated with SRH and mortality, but the current evidence base is too methodologically limited to support a causal relationship. To address the gaps we identified, future research should focus on income inequality measured at the national level and addressing confounding with natural experiment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- MICHAL SHIMONOVICH
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and WellbeingUniversity of Glasgow
| | - MHAIRI CAMPBELL
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and WellbeingUniversity of Glasgow
| | - RACHEL M. THOMSON
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and WellbeingUniversity of Glasgow
| | - PHILIP BROADBENT
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and WellbeingUniversity of Glasgow
| | - VALERIE WELLS
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and WellbeingUniversity of Glasgow
| | - DANIEL KOPASKER
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and WellbeingUniversity of Glasgow
| | - GERRY McCARTNEY
- School of Social and Political SciencesUniversity of Glasgow
| | - HILARY THOMSON
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and WellbeingUniversity of Glasgow
| | - ANNA PEARCE
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and WellbeingUniversity of Glasgow
| | - S. VITTAL KATIKIREDDI
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and WellbeingUniversity of Glasgow
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Chen H, Ning J, Hu H, He H. Distribution of the compression and expansion of morbidity in 194 countries and territories, 1990-2016: The role of income inequality. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS 2023; 45:1523-1540. [PMID: 37052335 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.13645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Studies on detailed types of health changes and the associations between the types and income inequality are inadequate. This study analyses the global distribution of the compression and expansion of morbidity in 194 countries and territories between 1990 and 2016, and investigates the role of income inequality in the distribution. This study shows that all seven types of health changes coexist, despite being distributed unevenly. The relative expansion of morbidity with increased or constant life expectancy (Type 6, 54.48%) is the most popular type, followed by the relative compression of morbidity with increased or constant life expectancy (Type 3, 30.71%). Income distribution within a society matters for health changes. Societies with greater income inequality tend to have Type 6, a worse scenario of health changes. Measures to reduce income inequality or mitigate its adverse effects will contribute to the relative compression of morbidity with increased or constant life expectancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Chen
- School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Ning
- School of Government, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China
| | - Hongwei Hu
- School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Haotian He
- School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
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5
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Wang J, Xu Y. Digitalization, income inequality, and public health: Evidence from developing countries. TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY 2023; 73:102210. [PMID: 36845906 PMCID: PMC9943561 DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the awareness and demand of public health worldwide. Based on the panel data of 81 developing countries from 2002 to 2019, this study probes into the effect of digitalization on public health and explores the mechanism through which digitalization affects public health from the perspective of income inequality. The results show that digitalization significantly enhances public health in developing countries, and this conclusion still holds after the robustness test. The heterogeneity analysis based on geographic location and income level indicates that the enhancing effect of digitalization on public health is most evident in Africa and middle-income countries. A further mechanism analysis suggests that digitalization can positively impact public health through the intermediary channel of suppressing income inequality. This study enriches the research on digitalization and public health and provides insights for comprehending public health needs and the powerful empowering effects of digitalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- College of Economics and Management, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, PR China
| | - Yubing Xu
- College of Economics and Management, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, PR China
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6
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Zhao Y. Socioeconomic Positions and Midlife Health Trajectories in a Changing Social Context: Evidence from China, 1991-2006. JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 64:39-61. [PMID: 36789677 DOI: 10.1177/00221465221150381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Cumulative (dis)advantage theory posits that socioeconomic disparities in health may increase with age. This study examines individuals' midlife health trajectories, taking account of how their life courses are embedded within changing social contexts. Using the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1991-2006), it examines the health gap between Chinese rural peasants and urban nonpeasants in three adjacent time periods, during which a rapid process of social change increased the inequalities between rural and urban areas. Findings show that the health gap increases more rapidly in the more recent time periods, with higher levels of inequality, indicating that health inequalities between the two groups are contingent upon the social contexts in which individuals' lives unfold. To better understand the differences observed over these time periods, further analysis will examine the roles of two structural factors: income inequality and differential access to medical care.
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7
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McFarland MJ, Hill TD, Montez JK. Income Inequality and Population Health: Examining the Role of Social Policy. JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 64:2-20. [PMID: 35848112 DOI: 10.1177/00221465221109202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Studies of the relationship between income inequality and life expectancy often speculate about the role of policy, but direct empirical research is limited. Drawing on the neo-materialist perspective, we examine whether the longitudinal association between income inequality and life expectancy is mediated and moderated by policy liberalism in U.S. states (2000-2014). More liberal policy contexts are characterized by greater efforts to regulate the economy, redistribute income, and protect vulnerable groups and lesser efforts to penalize deviant social behavior. We find that state-level income inequality is inversely associated with policy liberalism and life expectancy. The association between income inequality and life expectancy was not mediated by policy liberalism but was moderated by it. The association is attenuated in states with more liberal policy contexts, supporting the neo-materialist perspective. This finding illustrates how states like New York and California (with liberal policy contexts) can exhibit high income inequality and high life expectancy.
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8
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Patterson AC. Is Economic Growth Good for Population Health? A Critical Review. CANADIAN STUDIES IN POPULATION 2023; 50:1. [PMID: 36938118 PMCID: PMC10009865 DOI: 10.1007/s42650-023-00072-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
A large multidisciplinary literature discusses the relationship between economic growth and population health. The idea that economic growth is good for societies has inspired extensive academic debate, but conclusions have been mixed. To help shed light on the subject, this paper focuses on opportunities for consensus in this large literature. Much scholarship finds that the health-growth relationship varies according to (1) which aspect of "health" is under consideration, (2) shape (e.g., positive linear or logarithmic), (3) issues of timing (e.g., growth over the short or long term), (4) a focus on health inequalities as opposed to population averages, and (5) multivariable relationships with additional factors. After reflecting upon these findings, I propose that economic growth promotes health in some respects, for some countries, and in conjunction with other life-supporting priorities, but does not by itself improve population health generally speaking. I then argue there is already wide, interdisciplinary consensus to support this stance. Moreover, policies focusing exclusively on economic growth threaten harm to both population health and growth, which is to say that political dynamics are also implicated. Yet multivariable approaches can help clarify the bigger picture of how growth relates to health. For moving this literature forward, the best opportunities may involve the simultaneous analysis of multiple factors. The recognition of consensus around these issues would be welcome, and timely. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42650-023-00072-y.
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Brady D, Curran M, Carpiano RM. A test of the predictive validity of relative versus absolute income for self-reported health and well-being in the United States. DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH 2023; 48:775-808. [PMID: 37588006 PMCID: PMC10430759 DOI: 10.4054/demres.2023.48.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A classic debate concerns whether absolute or relative income is more salient. Absolute values resources as constant across time and place while relative contextualizes one's hierarchical location in the distribution of a time and place. OBJECTIVE This study investigates specifically whether absolute income or relative income matters more for health and well-being. METHODS We exploit within-person, within-age, and within-time variation with higher-quality income measures and multiple health and well-being outcomes in the United States. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the Cross-National Equivalent File, we estimate three-way fixed effects models of self-rated health, poor health, psychological distress, and life satisfaction. RESULTS For all four outcomes, relative income has much larger standardized coefficients than absolute income. Robustly, the confidence intervals for relative income do not overlap with zero. By contrast, absolute income mostly has confidence intervals that overlap with zero, and its coefficient is occasionally signed in the wrong direction. A variety of robustness checks support these results. CONCLUSIONS Relative income has far greater predictive validity than absolute income for self-reported health and well-being. CONTRIBUTION Compared to earlier studies, this study provides a more rigorous comparison and test of the predictive validity of absolute and relative income that is uniquely conducted with data on the United States. This informs debates on income measurement, the sources of health and well-being, and inequalities generally. Plausibly, these results can guide any analysis that includes income in models.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Brady
- University of California, Riverside, USA, and WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Germany
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10
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Svalestuen S. Is the mediating effect of psychosocial stress on the income–health relationship moderated by income inequality? SSM Popul Health 2022; 20:101302. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Xiang G, Liu J, Zhong S, Deng M. Comprehensive metrological and content analysis of the income inequality research in health field: A bibliometric analysis. Front Public Health 2022; 10:901112. [PMID: 36187638 PMCID: PMC9515572 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.901112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The association between income inequality in a society and the poor health status of its people has attracted the attention of researchers from multiple disciplines. Based on the ISI Web of Science database, bibliometric methods were used to analyze 546 articles related to income inequality research in health field published between 1997 and 2021. We found that the USA contributed most articles, the Harvard Univ was the most influential institution, Social Science & Medicine was the most influential journal, and Kawachi I was the most influential author; the main hotspots included the income inequality, income, health inequality, mortality, socioeconomic factors, concentration index, social capital, self-rated health, income distribution, infant mortality, and population health in 1997-2021; the cardiovascular disease risk factor, social capital income inequality, individual mortality risk, income-related inequalities, understanding income inequalities, income inequality household income, and state income inequality had been the hot research topics in 1997-2003; the self-assessed health, achieving equity, income-related inequalities, oral health, mental health, European panel, occupational class, and cardiovascular diseases had been the hot research topics in 2004-2011; the adolescent emotional problem, South Africa, avoidable mortality, rising inequalities, results from world health survey, working-age adult, spatial aggregation change, prospective study, and mental health-empirical evidence had been the hot research topics in 2012-2021; there were 11 articles with strong transformation potential during 2012-2021. The research results of this paper are helpful to the scientific understanding of the current status of income inequality research in health field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guocheng Xiang
- School of Business, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, China,College of Economics and Trade, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha, China
| | - Jingjing Liu
- School of Business, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, China
| | - Shihu Zhong
- Department of Applied Economics, Shanghai National Accounting Institute, Shanghai, China,*Correspondence: Shihu Zhong
| | - Mingjun Deng
- Research Center of Big Data and Intelligent Decision, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, China
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12
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The Impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on Health Outcomes: A Mediating Effect Analysis Based on Cross-National Panel Data. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 2022:2225723. [PMID: 35990542 PMCID: PMC9385304 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2225723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
When ICTs (Information and Communications Technologies) are combined with healthcare, they can make a key contribution to gradually improve national health outcomes. The global outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 further highlighted the important role of e-Health and m-Health service modes. This research structures a mediated effect model to explore dynamic relationships between ICT factors, ICT impacts, and national health outcomes, among which ICT factors are independent variables; ICT impacts are mediating variables, and national health outcome indicators selected from United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and World Development Indicators are dependent variables. The fixed effect model is used to process a set of 141 countries’ panel data from 2012 to 2016 from World Bank and World Economic Forum, while the classical three-step test method and Sobel test combined with fixed effects are used to test the mediated effects of the panel data. The results show that there are significant associations between ICT factors and national health outcome indicators, while only some of the partial mediated effects are proved. ICT environment and ICT usage can influence both the under-five mortality rate and adolescent fertility rate via ICT social impact. However, the mediated effect of ICT social impact on maternal mortality ratio and life expectancy at birth has not been confirmed. Meanwhile, the mediated effect of ICT economic impact has not been proven. This research is an interdisciplinary research in the field of information and communication technology and public health and reveals the path and mechanism whereby ICT factors improve national health outcomes, which can help global policymakers drive the next phase of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and continue to improve the overall health at the national level.
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Olstad DL, Nejatinamini S, Vanderlee L, Livingstone KM, Campbell DJT, Tang K, Minaker LM, Hammond D. Are stress-related pathways of social status differentiation more important determinants of health inequities in countries with higher levels of income inequality? SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS 2022; 44:663-691. [PMID: 35261028 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.13445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We explored socioeconomic gradients in self-rated overall health (SROH) using indicators of materialist (educational attainment and perceived income adequacy) and psychosocial perspectives (subjective social status (SSS)) among adults living in countries with varying levels of income inequality, and the importance of psychosocial stress in mediating these associations. If psychosocial processes at the individual and societal levels correspond, associations between SSS and SROH should be higher among adults in countries with higher income inequality, and psychosocial stress should be a more important mediator of these associations. We used multigroup structural equation models to analyse cross-sectional data from the International Food Policy Study of adults (n = 22,824) in Australia, Canada, Mexico, the UK and the United States. Associations between SSS and SROH were not higher in more unequal countries, nor was psychosocial stress a more important mediator of these associations. Inequities in SROH in more unequal countries may not predominantly reflect stress-related pathways of social status differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Lee Olstad
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sara Nejatinamini
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lana Vanderlee
- Centre Nutrition, Santé et Société (Centre NUTRISS), Pavillon des Services, Université Laval École de Nutrition, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Katherine M Livingstone
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - David J T Campbell
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Cardiac Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Karen Tang
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Leia M Minaker
- Faculty of Environment, School of Planning, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Hammond
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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Shimonovich M, Pearce A, Thomson H, McCartney G, Katikireddi SV. Assessing the causal relationship between income inequality and mortality and self-rated health: protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Syst Rev 2022; 11:20. [PMID: 35115055 PMCID: PMC8815171 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-022-01892-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Income inequality has been linked to health and mortality. While there has been extensive research exploring the relationship, the evidence for whether the relationship is causal remains disputed. We describe the methods for a systematic review that will transparently assess whether a causal relationship exists between income inequality and mortality and self-rated health. METHODS We will identify relevant studies using search terms relating to income inequality, mortality, and self-rated health (SRH). Four databases will be searched: MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, EMBASE, and the National Bureau of Economic Research. The inclusion criteria have been developed to identify the study designs best suited to assess causality: multilevel studies that have conditioned upon individual income (or a comparable measure, such as socioeconomic position) and natural experiment studies. Risk of bias assessment of included studies will be conducted using ROBINS-I. Where possible, we will convert all measures of income inequality into Gini coefficients and standardize the effect estimate of income inequality on mortality/SRH. We will conduct random-effects meta-analysis to estimate pooled effect estimates when possible. We will assess causality using modified Bradford Hill viewpoints and assess certainty using GRADE. DISCUSSION This systematic review protocol lays out the complexity of the relationship between income inequality and individual health, as well as our approach for assessing causality. Understanding whether income inequality impacts the health of individuals within a population has major policy implications. By setting out our methods and approach as transparently as we can, we hope this systematic review can provide clarity to an important topic for public policy and public health, as well as acting as an exemplar for other "causal reviews".
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Shimonovich
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
| | - Anna Pearce
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Hilary Thomson
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Gerry McCartney
- College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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15
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Alexiou C, Trachanas E. Health Outcomes, Income and Income Inequality: Revisiting the Empirical Relationship. Forum Health Econ Policy 2021; 24:75-100. [PMID: 36259395 DOI: 10.1515/fhep-2021-0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we revisit the relationship between health outcomes, income, and income inequality by applying alternative panel methodologies to a dataset of high-income countries spanning the time period 1980-2017. In this direction, we adopt alternative methodological frameworks in order to provide a) meaningful results by taking into account standard errors that alleviate problems of cross-sectional (spatial) and temporal dependence, and b) insights into the underlying relationships at several points of the conditional distribution of the health outcomes dependent variables. The evidence strongly supports the significant role that income plays in determining health outcomes. The findings relating to income inequality and nonlinear terms are more fragmented in that their significance and sign-direction depend on the functional form and the respective quantiles of the distribution the relationships are evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emmanouil Trachanas
- Department of Accounting and Finance, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Gugushvili A, Reeves A. How democracy alters our view of inequality - and what it means for our health. Soc Sci Med 2021; 283:114190. [PMID: 34242889 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Income inequality is associated with poor health when economic disparities are especially salient. Yet, political institutions may alter this relationship because democracies (as opposed to autocracies) may be more inclined to frame inequalities in negative rather than positive ways. Living in a particular political system potentially alters the messages individuals receive about whether inequality is large or small, good or bad, and this, in turn, might affect whether beliefs about inequality influence health. Further, media coverage of economic inequality may negatively affect health if it contributes toward the general perception that the gap between rich and poor has gone up, even if there has been no change in income differentials. METHODS In this study, we explore the relationship between democracy, perceptions of inequality, and self-rated health across 28 post-communist countries using survey and macro-level data, multilevel regression models, and inverse probability weighting to estimate the average treatment effect on the treated. RESULTS We find that self-rated health is higher in more democratic countries and lower among people who believe that inequality has risen in the last few years. Moreover, we observe that people in democracies are more likely to learn about rising inequality through watching television and that when they do it has a more harmful effect on their health than when people in autocracies learn about rising inequality through the same channel, suggesting that in countries where there is less trust in the television media learning about rising inequality is not as harmful for health. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that while democracies are generally good for well-being, they may not be unambiguously positive for health. This does not mean, of course, that inequality is good for health nor that, on average, autocracies have better health than democracies; but rather that being more aware of inequality can negatively affect self-rated health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexi Gugushvili
- Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo, Postboks 1096 Blindern, 0317, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Aaron Reeves
- Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, 32 Wellington Square, OX1 2ER, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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Jorgenson AK, Thombs RP, Clark B, Givens JE, Hill TD, Huang X, Kelly OM, Fitzgerald JB. Inequality amplifies the negative association between life expectancy and air pollution: A cross-national longitudinal study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 758:143705. [PMID: 33223160 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ambient air pollution, in the form of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), poses serious population health risks. We estimate cross-national longitudinal models to test whether the negative relationship between life expectancy and PM2.5 concentration is larger in nations with higher levels of income inequality. The dependent variable is average life expectancy at birth, and the focal predictor variables include PM2.5 concentration, income inequality, and the two-way interaction between them. We also estimate the average marginal effects of PM2.5 concentration from low to high values of income inequality, and the predicted values of life expectancy from low to high values of PM2.5 concentration and income inequality. Results indicate that the negative relationship between life expectancy and PM2.5 concentration is larger in nations with higher levels of income inequality, and the reductions in predicted life expectancy are substantial when both PM2.5 concentration and income inequality are high. We suggest that the theoretical principles of Power, Proximity, and Physiology help explain our findings. This study underscores the importance in considering the multiplicative impacts of environmental conditions and socioeconomic factors in the modeling of population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew K Jorgenson
- Boston College, Department of Sociology and Environmental Studies Program, McGuinn Hall 426, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, United States.
| | - Ryan P Thombs
- Boston College, Department of Sociology, McGuinn Hall 426, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, United States.
| | - Brett Clark
- University of Utah, Department of Sociology, 380 S 1530 E RM 301, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States.
| | - Jennifer E Givens
- Utah State University, Department of Sociology, 0730 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-0730, United States.
| | - Terrence D Hill
- University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Sociology, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249-1644, United States.
| | - Xiaorui Huang
- Boston College, Department of Sociology, McGuinn Hall 426, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, United States.
| | - Orla M Kelly
- University College Dublin, School of Social Policy, Social Work & Social Justice, Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington Building, Belfield, Dublin D04 N9Y1, Ireland.
| | - Jared B Fitzgerald
- Oklahoma State University, Department of Sociology, 431 Social Sciences & Humanities, Stillwater, OK 74078-4062, United States.
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18
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Reynolds MM, Buffel V. Organized Labor and Depression in Europe: Making Power Explicit in the Political Economy of Health. JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 2020; 61:342-358. [PMID: 32772576 DOI: 10.1177/0022146520945047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite engagement with the construct of power relations, research on the political economy of health has largely overlooked organized labor as a determinant of well-being. Grounded in the theory of power resources, our study aims to fill this gap by investigating the link between country-level union density and mental health while accounting for the compositional effects of individual-level union membership. We use three waves of the European Social Survey (N = 52,737) and a variation on traditional random-effects models to estimate both the contextual and change effects of labor unions on depressive symptoms. We find that country-level union density is associated with fewer depressive symptoms and that this is true irrespective of union membership. We discuss our findings vis-à-vis the literatures on the political economy of health, power resources, and fundamental causes of disease.
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19
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Thombs RP, Thombs DL, Jorgenson AK, Harris Braswell T. What Is Driving the Drug Overdose Epidemic in the United States? JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 2020; 61:275-289. [PMID: 32674692 DOI: 10.1177/0022146520939514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The demand-side perspective argues that the drug overdose epidemic is a consequence of changes in the economy that leave behind working-class people who lack a college education. In contrast, the supply-side perspective maintains that the epidemic is primarily due to changes in the licit and illicit drug environment, whereas a third, distinct perspective argues that income inequality is likely a key driver of the epidemic. To evaluate these competing perspectives, we use a two-level random intercept model and U.S. state-level data from 2006 to 2017. Contrary to the demand-side approach, we find that educational attainment is not associated with drug-related mortality. In support of the supply-side approach, we provide evidence indicating that opioid prescription rates are positively associated with drug-related mortality. We also find that income inequality is a key driver of the epidemic, particularly the lack of resources going to the bottom 20% of earners. We conclude by arguing that considerations of income inequality are an important way to link the arguments made by the demand-side and the supply-side perspectives.
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20
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Chen R, Kessler RC, Sadikova E, NeMoyer A, Sampson NA, Alvarez K, Vilsaint CL, Green JG, McLaughlin KA, Jackson JS, Alegría M, Williams DR. Racial and ethnic differences in individual-level and area-based socioeconomic status and 12-month DSM-IV mental disorders. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 119:48-59. [PMID: 31563857 PMCID: PMC7255491 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to: (1) examine the associations of individual-level objective socioeconomic status (OSS), subjective socioeconomic status (SSS), and area-based indicators of socioeconomic status, with 12-month DSM-IV mood, anxiety, alcohol use, and drug use disorders; and, (2) determine the extent of racial/ethnic differences in these associations across non-Latino White, non-Latino Black, Latino, and Asian participants. Data are from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Studies dataset, a collection of three population-based surveys of mental disorders among U.S. residents aged 18 and older (n = 13,775). Among all indicators of socioeconomic status, SSS was most consistently associated with 12-month mental disorders. Income was negatively associated with mood and anxiety disorders; education was negatively associated with alcohol use and drug use disorders. Significant interactions with race/ethnicity were found for the associations of socioeconomic indicators with anxiety, alcohol use, and drug use disorders but not with mood disorders. SSS was not associated with any of the 12-month mental disorders among Blacks. Education had stronger associations with 12-month anxiety and alcohol use disorders among Whites than among other racial/ethnic groups. Among Asians, low income compared to high income was associated with a lower risk of anxiety disorders and less than high school completion compared to college or more was associated with a lower risk of alcohol use disorders. Finally, tract-level income inequality was associated with a greater risk of drug use disorders only among Blacks. The patterns and magnitudes of the associations of individual-level and area-based socioeconomic indicators differed by type of disorder and race/ethnicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijia Chen
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States.
| | - Ronald C Kessler
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, 180 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115-5899, United States.
| | - Ekaterina Sadikova
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, 180 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115-5899, United States.
| | - Amanda NeMoyer
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, 180 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115-5899, United States; Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 Staniford Street, Suite 830, Boston, MA, 02114, United States.
| | - Nancy A Sampson
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, 180 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115-5899, United States.
| | - Kiara Alvarez
- Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 Staniford Street, Suite 830, Boston, MA, 02114, United States; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, United States.
| | - Corrie L Vilsaint
- Recovery Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Addiction Medicine, 151 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA, 02114, United States.
| | - Jennifer Greif Green
- Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, Boston University, 2 Silber Way, Boston, MA, 02215, United States.
| | - Katie A McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States.
| | - James S Jackson
- Institute for Social Research, 5057 ISR, 426 Thompson St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States.
| | - Margarita Alegría
- Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 Staniford Street, Suite 830, Boston, MA, 02114, United States; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA, 02215, United States.
| | - David R Williams
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States.
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21
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Hill TD, Jorgenson AK, Ore P, Balistreri KS, Clark B. Air quality and life expectancy in the United States: An analysis of the moderating effect of income inequality. SSM Popul Health 2018; 7:100346. [PMID: 30627626 PMCID: PMC6321951 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2018.100346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although studies have shown that air pollution can be devastating to population health, little is known about the health implications of the intersection of air pollution and income inequality. We investigate if air pollution is especially detrimental to the health of US state populations characterized by more inequitable distributions of income. In other words, are the populations of states with higher levels of income inequality especially vulnerable to similar levels of air pollution? We use two-way fixed-effects panel regression techniques to analyze longitudinal data for 49 US states and the District of Columbia (2000-2010) to model state-level life expectancy as a function of fine particulate matter, income inequality, and other state-level factors. We estimate models with interaction terms to formally assess whether the association between fine particulate matter and life expectancy varies by level of state income inequality. Across multiple life expectancy outcomes and additive models, states with higher PM2.5 levels tend to exhibit lower average life expectancy. This general pattern is observed with our specifications for raw and weighted PM2.5 and with adjustments for income share of the top 10%, total population, GDP per capita, median household income, median age, percent college degree or higher, percent black, and percent Hispanic/Latino. We also find that the association between state PM2.5 levels and average life expectancy intensifies in states with higher levels of income inequality. More specifically, PM2.5 levels are more detrimental to population life expectancy in states where a higher percentage of income is concentrated in the top 10% of the state income distribution. We discuss the implications of our results for future research in social epidemiology and environmental justice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terrence D Hill
- School of Sociology, University of Arizona, Social Sciences Building, Room 427, 1145 E. South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States
| | - Andrew K Jorgenson
- Department of Sociology, Boston College, McGuinn Hall 426, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, United States
| | - Peter Ore
- School of Sociology, University of Arizona, Social Sciences Building, Room 427, 1145 E. South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States
| | - Kelly S Balistreri
- Department of Sociology, Bowling Green State University, 218 Williams Hall, Bowling Green, OH 43403, United States
| | - Brett Clark
- Department of Sociology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E RM 301, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
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