File(s) not publicly available
Explaining health inequalities in Australia: The contribution of income, wealth and employment
journal contribution
posted on 2023-02-10, 02:46 authored by J Flavel, M McKee, Fisaha TesfayFisaha Tesfay, C Musolino, T Freeman, H Van Eyk, F BaumBackground Studies show widespread widening of socioeconomic and health inequalities. Comprehensive primary health care has a focus on equity and to enact this requires more data on drivers of the increase in inequities. Hence, we examined trends in the distribution of income, wealth, employment and health in Australia. Methods We analysed data from the Public Health Information Development Unit and Australian Bureau of Statistics. Inequalities were assessed using rate ratios and the slope index of inequality. Results We found that the social gradient in health, income, wealth and labour force participation has steepened in Australia, and inequalities widened between the quintile living in the most disadvantaged areas and the quintile living in the least disadvantaged areas. Conclusion Widening income, wealth and employment inequalities have been accompanied by increasing health inequalities, and have reinforced and amplified adverse health effects, leading to increased mortality inequality. Effective comprehensive primary health care needs to be informed by an understanding of structural factors driving economic and health inequities.
History
Journal
Australian Journal of Primary HealthVolume
28Pagination
474-481Location
AustraliaPublisher DOI
ISSN
1448-7527eISSN
1836-7399Language
EnglishPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalIssue
6Publisher
CSIRO PUBLISHINGUsage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Science & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineHealth Care Sciences & ServicesHealth Policy & ServicesPrimary Health CarePublic, Environmental & Occupational HealthGeneral & Internal MedicineAustraliaeconomic inequalityhealth equityhealth inequalitiessocial classsocial determinants of healthsocial gradientsocioeconomic factorsSOCIAL DETERMINANTSHumansHealth Inequities10 Reduced InequalitiesMedical and Health SciencesStudies in Human SocietyPsychology and Cognitive Sciences
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC