Thursday, February 16, 2012

[EQ] Health, wealth and ways of life: What can we learn from the Swedish, US and UK experience?

Health, wealth and ways of life:
What can we learn from the Swedish, US and UK experience?

Social Science & Medicine  Volume 74, Issue 5,  March 2012

Available at: http://bit.ly/zKr6AT


Table of Content


Introduction to the commentaries   

Monica Desai, Jeremiah A. Barondess, Sven-Olof Isacsson, David Misselbrook      

 

2.         Health, wealth and ways of life: What can we learn from the Swedish, US and UK experience? Overview   

Sarah Curtis, Giovanni S. Leonardi         

 

3.          Economic crises: Some thoughts on why, when and where they (might) matter for health—A tale of three countries

 

George A. Kaplan

Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

 

Website: http://bit.ly/yqJEUn

 

That we have been in the midst of a global economic crisis since 2008, should surprise no one. However, there is less agreement as to the potential downstream and future effects of a crisis that has led to both personal and societal pain, trillions of dollars of wealth lost, near collapse of some governments, dangerously high levels of unemployment in some places, and a palpable sense to many that this crisis will leave an imprint on future generations.

 

In what follows, I will ask if it is reasonable to expect that this imprint will extend to the health of populations, how health may be affected, and whether we can expect that the impacts on health will be felt equally across countries. I acknowledge at the outset, that there no clear answers. In the absence of clear data-driven signposts, I will provide a framework for exploring the potential health implications of economic crises. I will be focusing on three wealthy countries, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, but we should recognize that the effects will be more extreme among those poor countries that are already highly vulnerable.

….."

 

Content:

Introduction

Why might economic crises have an effect on health?

Do these social determinants impact health in Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom?

Impact of unemployment on health

Impact of income and wealth on health

Impact of education on health

Neighborhood quality and health

Availability of health care and health

Might we expect economic crises to have differential effects in the three countries?

Importance of a life course perspective

             

4.         Will the recession be bad for our health? It depends    -Marc Suhrcke, David Stuckler

5.         Sweden – Socioeconomic factors and health    -Bo Burström

6.         United States – Challenges of economic and demographic trends    -Lisa F. Berkman           

7.         Explaining health inequality: Evidence from the UK    - Mel Bartley    

8.         Impact of socioeconomic determinants on psychosocial factors and lifestyle - implications for health servi The Swedish experience 
            Margareta Kristenson

9.         Health inequalities by class and race in the US: What can we learn from the patterns?    Paula Braveman

10.        The Swedish perspective – A puzzle    - Sven Bremberg           

11.        Addressing health inequalities in the US: A life course health development approach   -Neal Halfon        

12.        Re-engineering health systems: The U.S. experience    - Gail R. Wilensky        

 

13.        How can our health systems be re-engineered to meet the future challenges? The Swedish experience   - Johan Calltorp   

14.        Sustainable policies to improve health and prevent climate change    - Andy Haines

15.        Health systems, health and wealth: The argument for investment applies now more than ever   - Martin McKee, Sanjay Basu, David Stuckler

16.        Economic growth and health progress in England and Wales: 160 years of a changing relation  

            José A. Tapia Granados

Economic growth and health progress in England and Wales are analyzed in 1840–2000. The increase in life expectancy at birth (LEB) or the decrease in mortality rates are used as indicators of health progress.  A negative relation is found between GDP growth and health progress – the lower the rate of growth of the economy, the greater the annual increase in LEB for both males and females.

 The effect is much stronger in 1900–1950 than in 1950–2000, and is very weak in the 19th century, and appears basically at lag zero.  These results add to an emerging consensus that mortality rates drop faster during recessions than during expansions.          

17.        Social support, volunteering and health around the world: Cross-national evidence from 139 countries  

            Santosh Kumar, Rocio Calvo, Mauricio Avendano, Kavita Sivaramakrishnan, Lisa F. Berkman

18.        Utilization of epidemiological research for the development of local public health policy in the Netherlands:
           Joyce de Goede, Kim Putters, Hans van Oers      

 

19.        Practitioner opinions on health promotion interventions that work: Opening the 'black box' of a linear evidence-based approach  
            Maarten O. Kok, Lenneke Vaandrager, Roland Bal, Jantine Schuit

20.        Coping with health care expenses among poor households: Evidence from a rural commune in Vietnam  
            Kim Thuy Nguyen, Oanh Thi Hai Khuat, Shuangge Ma, Duc Cuong Pham, Giang Thi Hong Khuat, Jennifer Prah Ruger

            Lost income and indirect costs comprise near half the health payment burden for households in a Vietnamese rural commune.
            Poor households are most vulnerable to consequences of funding health treatments through debt and food reduction.
            Policy must account for all health treatment costs, especially self-treatments and lost income.
            Stronger risk-pooling mechanisms should be developed, and official and unofficial payments should be regulated.              

21.        Socioeconomic pathways to depressive symptoms in adulthood: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth

             Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, Miles Taylor

Parents' education had an inverse relationship with respondents' depressive symptoms in adulthood.
This relationship was fully explained by respondents' education. In turn, the effect of respondent's education was also largely mediated by their household
income. Adult depressive symptoms are the outcome of life course pathways of social attainment rooted in parents' education.  Increasing educational opportunities may break the intergenerational transmission of low status and poor mental health.     

22.        Chinese and Korean immigrants' early life deprivation:
             An important factor for child feeding practices and children's body weight in the United States            

            Charissa S.L. Cheah, Jennifer Van Hook

Child feeding practices of Chinese and Korean American immigrants were influenced by their early material deprivation and current acculturation. ► Less acculturated parents' early life food insecurity predicted desires for more heavy children and children's soda/sweets consumption. ► Less acculturated parents' early material deprivation predicted more laissez-faire child feeding practices. ► Thus, child feeding practices and beliefs are shaped by parents' childhood material hardship, which fade with acculturation.         

23.        Uses and abuses of the resilience construct: Loss, trauma, and health-related adversities    -George A. Bonanno          

24.        Protective factors and predictors of vulnerability to chronic stress: A comparative study of 4 communities after 7 years of continuous rocket

            Marc Gelkopf, Rony Berger, Avraham Bleich, Roxane Cohen Silver           

25.        Scientific tools, fake treatments, or triggers for psychological healing: How clinical trial participants conceptualise placebos  

             Felicity L. Bishop, Eric E. Jacobson, Jessica R. Shaw, Ted J. Kaptchuk

              At their most negative, US trial participants conceptualised placebo effects as illusory effects produced by fake treatments.
              At their most positive, placebo effects were valued and conceptualised as examples of psychological healing mechanisms.
              Negative conceptualisations of placebo effects led participants to see placebo responders as gullible.
              Information for clinical trial participants should accurately reflect current scientific knowledge about placebo effects.  

26.        A 'beautiful death': Mortality, death, and holidays in a Mexican municipality  

            José L. Wilches-Gutiérrez, Luz Arenas-Monreal, Alfredo Paulo-Maya, Ingris Peláez-Ballestas, Alvaro J. Idrovo

First study to explore the relationship between mortality and public holidays in a Latin American context (Morelos, Mexico). ► Incorporates quantitative and qualitative methods within the framework of cultural epidemiology. ► Suggests that Mexican cultural and religious beliefs guide the interpretation of death as a 'beautiful' process.          


27.        Therapeutic landscapes and postcolonial theory: A theoretical approach to medical tourism    - Christine N. Buzinde, Careen Yarnal 

28.        Medical ideology as a double-edged sword: The politics of cure and care in the making of Alzheimer's disease  
            Claudia Chaufan, Brooke Hollister, Jennifer Nazareno, Patrick Fox

            The medicalization of senility legitimized the Alzheimer's disease social movement and helped raise awareness of the problems of aging.
            The medicalization of senility also undermined advocacy for long-term care.  Medicalizing health-related social problems
            can backfire on social movements seeking redress to their grievances.  Activists must demand that needs and humanity of all persons
            be acknowledged as sources of legitimacy in themselves.              

29.        'Doing the "Right" Thing': How parents experience and manage decision-making for children's 'Normalising' surgeries  

             Pauline Anne Nelson, Ann-Louise Caress, Anne-Marie Glenny, Susan A. Kirk

 

 Parents' decisions for children's elective, 'normalising' surgeries in England were examined using cleft lip and palate as an exemplar.  Parents saw the pursuit of 'normalising' surgeries to facilitate their child's social inclusion as a 'moral' obligation.  Specialist practitioners were firmly trusted, but parents could be vulnerable to unequal power relationships with them.  Parents' decision-making in this context is complex and involves strong emotional, social and cultural influences.  Services could support parents by gauging their emotional/decisional needs and helping them consider all available options.     

 

 


Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho


 *      *     *
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/ KMC Area]
Washington DC USA

"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
Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html
Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho


 

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 dispose of and delete this transmission.

Thank you.

[EQ] Climate Change and health in the context of Rio+20 - seminar online

SDE Seminar Series towards Rio+20
Sustainable Development and Environmental Health – SDE -  PAHO/WHO

Third Seminar on:  
Climate Change and health in the context of Rio+20

Climate change will figure prominently in the Rio+20 discussions. The Green Economy, a key topic of the Rio Conference, aims at combating Carbon emissions. While doing its part on mitigation, the health sector has also a mandatory role in addressing Adaptation to reduce the impacts of climate change on health.

In this Seminar, speakers will address climate change and health concerns, with specific references to actions in countries, linking the process to the Rio Conference.

February 22, 2012
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm - Eastern Standard Time (Washington DC USA)

To check local time in WDC against your time zone, see the World Clock at:
 http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html

Website PAHO/WHO Rio+20 at: http://bit.ly/oxoRdS


Moderator – Dr Carlos Corvalan, Senior Advisor, Risk Assessment and Global Environmental Change

Translation will be available: English and Spanish

Report: Consultative Meeting on Health and Sustainable Development Rio+20 http://bit.ly/yyrhI4 Sao Paulo November 2011

Reporte: Reunión de consulta sobre Salud y Desarrollo Sostenible en la Región de las Américas San Paulo Noviembre 2011 http://bit.ly/w8WHHz

Reporte: Consulta preparatoria de la OPS para la "Cumbre de la Tierra 2012" Rio+20 http://bit.ly/xeH4hj
Washington DC September 2010

Agenda

12:00 pm – Welcome and Introduction
                   Dr. Carlos Corvalan, Senior Advisor, Risk Assessment and Global Environmental Change, PAHO/WHO

12:05 pm – Climate Change and Health: Key messages for Rio+20   – Dr. George Luber, CDC, USA 

12:15 pm - An experience of adaptation to the climate change in Bolivia – Dr. Marilyn Aparício

12:25 pm - The experience of Barbados in preparation to extreme events – Austin Grieves

12:35 pm  - Quebec climate change adaptation plan: an integrated platform for the surveillance of health-related indicators for extreme meteorological events
                  – Dr Pierre Gosselin
12:45 pm Q & A Moderator: Dr. Carlos Corvalan, Senior Advisor, Risk Assessment and Global Environmental Change, PAHO/WHO

12:55 pm Discussion and comments. Dr. Carlos Santos Burgoa, Regional Advisor Sustainable Development and Environmental Health PAHO/WHO

12:55 - 01:00 pm Wrap-up

How to participate:

In person:
PAHO/WHO
525 23rd ST NW
Washington DC, 20037
Room C – 12h to 13h Eastern Time (WDC)

Online: via Elluminate link:

- Spanish room: www.paho.org/virtual/SeminariosSDE 

- English room www.paho.org/virtual/SDESeminars



Phone number for those without access to Elluminate:

Telephone  1-202-974-3075

Meeting IDs
English: RioPlus20 or  (746758720)
Español: RioMas20 or (74662720)

 

SDE Seminar Series towards Rio+20

"Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development.
They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature" - Principle 1 of the Rio…..”
Declaration on Environment and Development, 1992.

The Rio Declaration of 1992 recognizes that healthy populations are central to human progress and sustainable development, and remains equally true today. However, the economic pillar has been prioritized at the expense of the social and environmental pillars of sustainable development over the last few decades, becoming itself a source of volatility and destabilization .

 

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development , Rio+20, now offers an opportunity to re-examine the relationship between health and sustainable development. The proposed SDE Seminar series towards Rio+20 aim at contributing to this important debate by bringing different themes of relevance to sustainable development and health to inform all areas of the Pan American Organization about the themes under discussion in the Rio Conference, but also to inform public health stakeholders and other decision makers in the health sector, to better take part in the debate.

 

The SDE Seminar series will happen every Wednesday   from 12 to 1pm (Washington time), from February 8 to June 13th.

All Seminars will be life-streamed, and opened for participation in person at the PAHO/WHO HQ, or via Elluminate, or via telephone line.
Some of the Seminars will be in English, others in Spanish.

For those who cannot follow the seminar alive, they will be available later at PAHO Rio+20 Toolkit at: http://bit.ly/oxoRdS

Contact Information: Dr. Agnes Soares soaresag@paho.org


Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho


 *      *     *
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/ KMC Area]
Washington DC USA

“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
Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html
Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho



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 dispose of and delete this transmission.

Thank you.

[EQ] New Public health virtual conversation on Equity and Health - PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses joined Twitter

Mirta Roses Periago joins Twitter

PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses Periago joins Twitter, engages in a public health virtual conversation on Equity and Health

URL: http://bit.ly/xQNhaG

Through @MirtaRoses, the Director will present her call to action on public health issues and encourage healthy behaviors and practices. By sharing her comments and ideas, supported by engaging facts and figures, the Director will also enlighten followers on public health’s successes and shortcomings.
 

“………….This is will be the century of networks, connectivity, and interdependence, and all of these will enable us to overcome the barriers of space and time and to open up heretofore unimaginable possibilities for humanity.
 If we use these networks to multiply exponentially the social capital available, to link people and institutions in a vast web that embraces all the inhabitants of our hemisphere, we will have taken a giant step toward ensuring that our knowledge and experience converge into finding new modes of exchanging technical cooperation for sustainable human development……….."  

Address of Dr. Mirta Roses Periago at her inauguration ceremony as Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau and WHO Regional Director for the Americas, 31 January 2003

 

Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, known as "tweets", in real-time. The platform is known for its simplicity, agility, and wide and diverse audience, as well as its increasing role during emergencies or disasters.



Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho


 *      *     *
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/ KMC Area]
Washington DC USA

“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
Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html
Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho

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 dispose of and delete this transmission.

Thank you.