World health inequality: convergence, divergence, and development

Recent studies characterize the last half of the twentieth century as an era of cross-national health convergence, with some attributing welfare gains in the developing world to economic growth. In this study, I examine the extent to which welfare outcomes have actually converged and the extent to which economic development is responsible for the observed trends. Drawing from estimates covering 195 nations during the 1955-2005 period, I find that life expectancy averages converged during this time, but that infant mortality rates continuously diverged. I develop a narrative that implicates economic development in these contrasting trends, suggesting that health outcomes follow a "welfare Kuznets curve." Among poor countries, economic development improves life expectancy more than it reduces infant mortality, whereas the situation is reversed among wealthier nations. In this way, development has contributed to both convergence in life expectancy and divergence in infant mortality. Drawing from 674 observations across 163 countries during the 1980-2005 period, I find that the positive effect of GDP PC on life expectancy attenuates at higher levels of development, while the negative effect of GDP PC on infant mortality grows stronger.     

Income inequality and population health: correlation and causality

A large literature now exists on the cross-national correlation between income inequality and population health, but existing studies suffer from sparse data, poor operationalization of income inequality, and the use of low-power statistical models. This paper sets out to estimate the ecological correlation between income inequality and indicators of population health in a very broad panel of countries, to demonstrate that this relationship is largely non-artifactual, and to test whether this relationship might be causal. Gini coefficients of national income inequality in 1970 and 1995 are correlated with life expectancy, infant mortality rates, and murder rates, controlling for national income per capita. In cross-sectional analyses, inequality is significantly correlated with life expectancy, infant mortality, and (inconsistently) the murder rate. The health correlations are shown to be not primarily due to the "convexity effect" of the non-linear relationship between individual income and individual health, which seems to account for no more than one-third of the relationship between inequality and health, and likely much less. Change in inequality 1970-1995 is significantly related to change in life expectancy and infant mortality, suggesting a causal relationship, but these correlations are not robust with respect to sample or controls. It can be concluded that there is a strong, consistent, statistically significant, non-artifactual correlation between national income inequality and population health, but though there is some evidence that this relationship is causal, the relative stability of income inequality over time in most countries makes causality difficult to test.     

Social gradient in life expectancy and health expectancy in Denmark

Summary Objectives: Health status of a population can be evaluated by health expectancy expressed as average lifetime in various states of health. The purpose of the study was to compare health expectancy in population groups at high, medium and low educational levels.Methods: Health interview data were combined with life table figures using Sullivans method.Results: Life expectancy was 4.3 years longer for 30-year-old men with a high educational level than for those with a low level. At age 30, the proportion of expected lifetime in self-rated good health was 67.7%, 76.1% and 82.3% for men with a low, medium and high educational level, respectively. Among women, life expectancy differed by 2.7 years between low and high educational level, and the proportion of expected lifetime in self-rated good health was 62.5% at the low and 80.5% at the high educational level.Conclusions: Educational level and life expectancy are clearly related. The social gradient in terms of health expectancy is even greater than that in terms of life expectancy.     

Predictors of elderly mortality: health status, socioeconomic characteristics and social determinants of health

This paper uses longitudinal survey data from Taiwan to investigate the predictors of elderly mortality. The empirical analysis confirms a relationship between socioeconomic characteristics and mortality, but this relationship weakens considerably when estimates are conditional on the health status at the time of the first wave survey. In terms of predictive power, the models with an activities of daily living index fare better (as opposed to models with self-evaluated health or self-reported illnesses). Having said that there is a payoff to the consideration of self-evaluated health jointly with other 'objective' health indicators. Other findings include a strong association between life satisfaction and survival, which prevails even after controlling for other explanatory variables.     

上海人群主要健康指标分析

该主要对上海与其它发达国家、地区的主要健康指标进行横向比较，总结成绩、发现差距和问题，为新世纪上海居民健康水平进一步提高提供决策依据。     

中国预期寿命变动的地区差异及其社会经济影响因素:1981—2010

利用最近四期人口普查数据估算的分省预期寿命及相应年份的社会经济统计资料,分析改革开放以来不同省份人口预期寿命之间的地区差异及其历时变动情况,并通过拟合针对面板数据的随机效应模型考察影响人口预期寿命地区差异的社会经济因素。结果研究发现,中国不同地区人口预期寿命差距明显,这一差距在1990—2010年总体上经历了先升后降的变动过程。面板数据模型分析结果显示,经济发展水平和增长速度、收入不平等程度以及教育和卫生基础资源状况是导致不同地区人口预期寿命差异的重要影响因素。     

Socio-economic inequalities in health expectancy in Belgium

Various international studies have demonstrated socio-economic differences in health. Linking the 1991 Census to the National Register and using the Health Interview Survey 1997 has enabled assessment of the association between the level of education and health in Belgium using the composite indicator 'health expectancy'. The Sullivan method was used to calculate health expectancy on the basis of current probability of death and prevalence of perceived health. Two measures of educational attainment were used: absolute educational attainment and the position on a relative hierarchical educational scale obtained by a regression-based method. The latter measure enables international comparisons. Differences in health expectancy by education were spread over the whole range of the educational hierarchy, and were consistently larger among females than males. At 25 years of age, the difference in health expectancy between different levels of education reached up to 17.8 and 24.7 years in males and females, respectively. Compared with people with the highest educational attainment, males and females at the lowest level of education spent more than 10 and 20 additional years in poor perceived health, respectively. Between ages 25 and 75 years, the difference in health expectancy between people with the lowest and highest levels of education was 17 years among males and 21 years among females. Compared with people at the top of the relative educational scale, males and females at the bottom of the scale had 13.6 and 19.7 additional years in poor perceived health, respectively. The conclusions of this study in Belgium are consistent with studies in other countries. People with a low level of education have shorter lives than people with a higher level of education. They also have fewer years in good perceived health, and can expect more years in poor health in their shorter lives. The inequality in health expectancy seems to be greater in females than males.     

Politics and population health: Testing the impact of electoral democracy

This study addresses questions of whether and why electoral democracies have better health than other nations. After devising a replicable approach to missing data, we compare political, economic, and health-related data for 168 nations collected annually from 1960 through 2010. Regression models estimate that electoral democracies have 11 years of longer life expectancy on average and 62.5% lower rates of infant mortality. The association with life expectancy reduces markedly after controlling for GDP, while a combination of factors may explain the democratic advantage in infant health. Results suggest that income inequality associates independently with both health outcomes but does not mediate their associations with democracy.     

Public and private pharmaceutical spending as determinants of health outcomes in Canada

Canadian per capita drug expenditures increased markedly in recent years and have become center stage in the debate on health care cost containment. To inform public policy, these costs must be compared with the benefits provided by these drugs. This paper measures the statistical relationship between drug spending in Canadian provinces and overall health outcomes. The analysis relies on more homogenous data and includes a more complete set of controls for confounding factors than previous studies. Results show a strong statistical relationship between drug spending and health outcomes, especially for infant mortality and life expectancy at 65. This relationship is almost always stronger for private drug spending than for public drug spending. The analysis further indicates that substantially better health outcomes are observed in provinces where higher drug spending occurs. Simulations show that if all provinces increased per capita drug spending to the levels observed in the two provinces with the highest spending level, an average of 584 fewer infant deaths per year and over 6 months of increased life expectancy at birth would result.     

Social determinants of health: an economic perspective

The World Health Organization has recently received the findings of its Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. The Commission's report offers a remarkable summary of the evidence, and makes a passionate case for government action to address the social determinants of health, especially as they relate to health inequity. This paper summarizes the ways in which economic analysis could strengthen policy under three headings: examining the causal impact of the determinants of health and of associated policies; prioritising actions; and determining the role of government in influencing behaviour. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Primary health care: an international perspective

Five years have passed since the Alma Ata meeting, and with 17 years remaining in this century, one has to ponder whether the goal of health for all by the year 2000 through primary health care is achievable. This article explores the general situation of health and primary health care, especially in the developing world, where health problems are more acute. The slogan "health for all by the year 2000" has succeeded in creating an awareness of the problems throughout the world. The path toward this goal is not necessarily smooth or paved. Nevertheless, with goodwill and planned actions it can be achieved, though not necessarily by all nations or by the year 2000. This is the biggest challenge facing nations, professionals, international health organizations, and humanity. To achieve this goal they will need to improve and better use national resources, both physical and human. Developing physical resources entails comprehensive and integrated socioeconomic growth, improved health budgeting with multisectorial programming, the use of appropriate technology, and the adoption of scientific managerial processes; but what is even more important is the development of human resources at all levels.     

北京市居民健康期望寿命测算研究

目的：基于卫生系统现有数据测算北京市居民健康期望寿命,对该指标本土化研究与应用提出建议。资料与方法：利用2008年北京市年度人口和死亡资料,第四次国家卫生服务调查和第二次全国残疾人抽样调查资料,基于沙利文法测算常用健康期望寿命指标。结果：2008年北京市居民0岁自评健康期望寿命为72．75岁,男性71．22岁,女性73．89岁。0岁无失能期望寿命75．18岁,男性73．85岁,女性76．56岁。0岁无慢性病期望寿命62．73岁,男性61．87岁,女性63．75岁。北京居民健康期望寿命在期望寿命中的占比男性通常高于女性,但老年人口中,男性健康期望寿命在期望寿命中的占比低于女性。政策建议：使用健康期望寿命作为居民健康状况评价的重要指标,借鉴国外成熟经验建立本土化的数据报告和收集制度,推进居民全生命周期人口相关信息数据的整合与利用,重视老年人口的长期照护需求及其健康支持体系建设。     

浙江省居民健康期望寿命分析

目的 分析浙江省居民1998、2003和2008年健康期望寿命以及年龄、性别和城乡之间的差异.方法 利用浙江省死因监测资料和浙江省卫生服务调查家庭户成员相关健康资料,采用Sullivan法计算健康期望寿命.结果 浙江省居民期望寿命、健康期望寿命和健康期望寿命比值,1998年为73.89岁、58.09岁和78.62%,2003年为75.91岁、57.76岁和76.08%,2008年为76.70岁、59.57岁和77.66%.浙江省居民期望寿命、健康期望寿命和健康期望寿命比值均随着年龄的上升而下降.女性期望寿命高于男性,男性健康期望寿命比值高于女性.城市居民期望寿命高于农村居民,但是农村居民健康期望寿命和健康期望寿命比值均高于城市居民.结论 浙江省居民期望寿命随着年份递增而递增,不同年龄、不同性别和不同地区的健康期望寿命存在差异,应采取不同卫生政策.     

Gender and medicines: an international public health perspective

Despite outstanding progress in the area of medicines, their access and use have not been equitable throughout the world. Fifteen percent of the world's population consumes 91% of the world's production of pharmaceuticals. Only one third of the world population has access to essential medicines. Additionally, studies carried out in developing countries reveal that gender-related barriers in access to health services and medicines are greater for women than men because of social and cultural factors. In high-income settings, women are reported to use more medicines than men. Moreover, the current devastating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic impacts women disproportionately. Women are more vulnerable to HIV infection than men biologically but also because of gender inequalities. More social and statistical data, in both developing and developed countries, are needed to fully understand the impact of gender on access to and use of medicines. Improving access to essential medicines will be possible only if countries introduce a gender perspective in their medicine policies.     

Micronutrients and reproductive health issues: an international perspective

Micronutrients may have a role in enhancing reproductive health of women living in the developing world. Two illustrative micronutrients, zinc and vitamin A, have received some attention in this regard. Numerous animal experiments and observational studies suggest the potential role of zinc deficiency in labor and delivery-related complications such as premature rupture of membrane, placental abruption, preterm labor and inefficient uterine contraction. These associations have not been confirmed in supplementation studies. Zinc does not appear to be a limiting factor in intrauterine growth in the developing world, contrary to some evidence of its suggested benefit among women residing in industrialized countries. One study in Nepal found that maternal vitamin A or beta-carotene supplementation reduces pregnancy-related mortality but not infant mortality. These findings are corroborated by observations of the significantly higher risk of mortality among night-blind women compared to non-night-blind women long after the termination of pregnancy and the resolution of night blindness. Maternal multiple micronutrient supplementation needs more careful evaluation before its use in large-scale programs. Two recent trials indicated that a prenatal multiple micronutrient supplement provides no added advantage over iron and folate in reducing outcomes such as low birth weight and probably no survival benefit. Data are also suggestive that adding zinc may negate the beneficial effect of iron and folic acid on birth weight. Research is needed to further our understanding of nutrient-nutrient interactions.     

A second look at pharmaceutical spending as determinants of health outcomes in Canada

Per capita spending on pharmaceutical products has increased substantially in recent decades in Canada. Recent Canadian research by Crémieux et al. concludes that there is a strong statistical relationship between pharmaceutical spending and health outcomes (Health Econ. 2005a; 14: 117, Health Econ. 2005b; 14(2): 107-116). This paper takes a second look at pharmaceutical spending as determinants of health outcomes in Canada. In doing so, it examines the robustness of the findings of Crémieux et al. by considering the appropriateness of the data used and statistical approach utilized. Particular attention is given to the potential for non-stationarity and spurious regression, issues related to unit heterogeneity and the choice of estimators. In contrast with earlier findings, on the whole, no discernable relationship between spending on private or public pharmaceutical products and infant mortality or life expectancy at 65 is observed.     

Action on the social determinants of health: A historical perspective

Abstract

A renewed concern with social factors has emerged in global public health, spearheaded by the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Determinants of Health. The coming decade may see significant health gains for disadvantaged populations if policies tackle the social roots of health inequities. To improve chances of success, global action on social determinants must draw lessons from history. This article reviews milestones in public health action on social determinants over the past 50 years. The goal is to bring into sharper focus the persistent challenges faced by social determinants agendas, along with distinctive opportunities now emerging. The historical record highlights the vulnerability of health policy approaches incorporating social determinants to resistance from entrenched interests. The Commission on Social Determinants of Health can consolidate political support by building collaborative relationships with policymakers in partner countries. However, this strategy must be complemented by engaging civil society constituencies. Historically, successful action on social determinants has been spurred by organized civil society demand.     

Infant mortality and congenital anomalies from 1950 to 1994: an international perspective

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To provide an international perspective on the impact of congenital anomalies on infant mortality from 1950 to 1994. DESIGN: Population-based study based on data obtained from vital statistics reported to the World Health Organisation. SETTINGS: 36 countries from Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia, and the South Pacific. RESULTS: On average, infant mortality declined 68.8 per cent from 1950 to 1994. In the countries studied, infant mortality attributable to congenital anomalies decreased by 33.4 per cent, although it recently increased in some countries in Central and Latin America and in Eastern Europe. Anomalies of the heart and of the central nervous system accounted for 48.9 per cent of infant deaths attributable to congenital anomalies. During 1990-1994, infant mortality attributable to congenital anomalies was inversely correlated to the per capita gross domestic product in the countries studied. At the same time, the proportion of infant deaths attributable to congenital malformations was directly correlated with the per capita gross domestic product. CONCLUSIONS: Congenital malformations account for an increasing proportion of infant deaths in both developed and developing countries. Infant mortality attributable to congenital anomalies is higher in poorer countries although as a proportion of infant deaths it is greater in wealthier countries. Conditions such as spina bifida, whose occurrence can be reduced through preventive strategies, still cause many infant deaths. The apparent increase of infant mortality because of congenital anomalies in some countries should be investigated to confirm the finding, find the causes, and provide prevention opportunities.     

Social differences in the burden of long-standing illness in Denmark

Summary. Objectives To estimate the impact of diseases on social differences in life expectancy and expected lifetime with illness among Danes in 1995–99. Methods Expected lifetime with and without long-standing illness were calculated for groups with low, medium and high educational levels. Estimates based on observed rates of mortality and prevalence of illness were compared with those based on rates from which a specific disease had been eliminated. Results Partial life expectancy (age 30–75) would increase by almost 1.5 years if cancer were eliminated. Expected lifetime without long-standing illness would increase by approximately 1 year. Elimination of cardiovascular diseases would increase partial life expectancy, mainly among men with a low educational level. If diseases of the musculoskeletal system were eliminated the benefit would be greatest for persons with a low educational level. Conclusions The gain in life expectancy to be expected by eliminating certain diseases decreased with educational level. Elimination of cancer would extend lifetime both with and without illness for all educational levels. Submitted: 27 June 2005; Accepted: 7 March 2006