[EQ] Linking Political Systems and Priorities to the Magnitude of Health Inequities

Epi + demos + cracy:
Linking Political Systems and Priorities to the Magnitude of Health Inequities
Evidence, Gaps, and a Research Agenda

Jason Beckfield; Nancy Krieger, Professor, Dept of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health

Epidemiologic Reviews 2009; doi: 10.1093/epirev/mxp002 - May 27, 2009.

“…A new focus within both social epidemiology and political sociology investigates how political systems and priorities shape health inequities.
To advance—and better integrate—research on political determinants of health inequities, the authors conducted a systematic search of the ISI Web of Knowledge and PubMed databases and identified 45 studies, commencing in 1992, that explicitly and empirically tested, in relation to an a priori political hypothesis, for either
1) changes in the magnitude of health inequities or
2) significant cross-national differences in the magnitude of health inequities.

 

Overall, 84% of the studies focused on the global North, and all clustered around 4 political factors:
1) the transition to a capitalist economy;
2) neoliberal restructuring;
3) welfare states; and
4) political incorporation of subordinated racial/ethnic, indigenous, and gender groups.

 

The evidence suggested that the first 2 factors probably increase health inequities, the third is inconsistently related, and the fourth helps reduce them. In this review, the authors critically summarize these studies’ findings, consider methodological limitations, and propose a research agenda—with careful attention to spatiotemporal scale, level, time frame (e.g., life course, historical generation), choice of health outcomes, inclusion of polities, and specification of political mechanisms—to address the enormous gaps in knowledge that were identified….”

 

Free-access links to the online article:

 

Abstract: http://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/mxp002?ijkey=xaXqimZNzdGpbSc&keytype=ref

 

Full Text: http://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/mxp002?ijkey=xaXqimZNzdGpbSc&keytype=ref   

 

PDF: http://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/mxp002?ijkey=xaXqimZNzdGpbSc&keytype=ref

 

 *      *     *

This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ KMS Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAHO/WHO Website

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/eqpaho

Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html

 

 

 

    IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering this transmission to the intended recipient, you may not disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by email to infosec@paho.org, and please dispose of and delete this transmission. Thank you.