Abstract
BackgroundHealth promotion and prevention activities should tackle health inequalities to reduce disparities in health among disadvantaged populations. This study aimed to assess the extent to which the Italian Regions considered health inequalities during the planning of prevention activities, to detect geographical differences and to identify the possible determinants of differences in attention to health inequalities.MethodsThe 19 Regional Prevention Plans (RPPs) developed by Italian Regions within the National Prevention Plan (NPP) 2010–2013 were assessed using a specific tool to address the level of attention to health inequalities. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify regional characteristics associated with a higher level of attention to health inequalities.ResultsOf the 702 projects included in the 19 RPPs, only 56 (8.0 %) specifically addressed issues related to health inequalities. The results of the multivariate analysis showed that a higher level of attention was associated with the macroarea of intervention ‘prevention in high-risk groups’, with the higher quality of the Strategic Plan Section of the RPP and with the higher percentage of migrants in the Region in 2010. Moreover, projects that addressed the topic of health inequalities were more likely to be developed in the Northern Regions, in Regions with a lower level of ‘linking social capital’ and with a Higher Regional Health Care Expenditure (RHCE) as a percentage of Regional Gross Domestic Product (RGDP) in 2010.ConclusionsThe level of attention to health inequalities in the regional planning process of prevention activities 2010–2013 in Italy is low. The results of this study supported the new round of prevention planning in Italy, and highlight the urgent need to increase the number of policies and interventions able to reduce health inequalities.
Highlights
Health promotion and prevention activities should tackle health inequalities to reduce disparities in health among disadvantaged populations
The results of this study supported the new round of prevention planning in Italy, and highlight the urgent need to increase the number of policies and interventions able to reduce health inequalities
Of the 702 projects included in the 19 Regional Prevention Plan (RPP) developed by the Italian Regions, only 56 (8.0 %) addressed at least one of the four issues related to health inequalities (Table 1)
Summary
Health promotion and prevention activities should tackle health inequalities to reduce disparities in health among disadvantaged populations. This study aimed to assess the extent to which the Italian Regions considered health inequalities during the planning of prevention activities, to detect geographical differences and to identify the possible determinants of differences in attention to health inequalities. A comparison of 22 European countries showed that health inequalities associated with socioeconomic status are present everywhere throughout Europe, highlighting the urgent need for public health research to find effective policies and interventions able to reduce health inequalities [1, 2]. Positive effects on the health of disadvantaged individuals have resulted from interventions aimed at reducing exposure to risk factors in the whole population [11,12,13]
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