Health Concentration Index Research Articles

Inequity in antenatal care quality in Zimbabwe: The role of women’s empowerment

ABSTRACT The health systems fail to provide quality antenatal health services to vulnerable and marginalised pregnant women regardless of their effectiveness in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. Despite the importance of antenatal care quality during pregnancy, less is known regarding its inequality in developing countries. This paper aims to determine the inequality in antenatal care quality in Zimbabwe and the contribution of women’s empowerment. The paper used the 2010/11 and the 2015 Demographic Health Survey data and concentration index and Shapley decomposition. We found that antenatal care quality was pro-rich for blood sample tests, urine sample tests, blood pressure tests, and iron tablets except for tetanus injections, thus the affluent benefit more from better antenatal care quality than the poor. Women’s empowerment had a major contribution to inequality in antenatal care quality. Given the paramount importance of antenatal care in improving maternal, birth, and child outcomes, policymakers should consider policies that enhance the women’s empowerment and quality of antenatal care services in Zimbabwe, which in turn enhance the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.

Inequalities in mental health between post-conflict recovery and pandemic-induced challenges in conflict-affected territories in Colombia

After the landmark 2016 peace agreement in Colombia, significant strides were made to reduce inequalities in mental health. However, a development paradox arises when considering the contrasting dynamics introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores the balance of progress and setbacks in conflict-affected territories, with a specific focus on examining the exacerbation of mental health disparities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.Data from the Conflicto, Paz y Salud (CONPAS) survey, encompassing 865 households over 2019–2020, are utilized to explore and analyze the presence of inequalities in mental health. Through the integration of the Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20), the Household Wealth Index (HWI), and the Oaxaca-Blinder change decomposition method, the research highlights the socioeconomic shifts impacting these trajectories.The analysis reveals a stark development paradox. While Colombia was advancing in its recovery and general mental health was improving, the disruptions of the pandemic intensified mental health disparities. This contrast is evidenced by a notable shift in the mental health concentration index from −0.067 in 2019 to −0.130 in 2020 is observed, indicating that vulnerable groups, especially women, residents of territories highly affected by the armed conflict, and those with educational disadvantages, bore the brunt of these challenges.In the context of the broader development discourse, this study contributes to the existing frame of research by providing a nuanced analysis between “post-conflict” recovery and the unforeseen impacts of global crises on mental health. This work complements previous studies on mental health and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by offering a detailed examination of the socioeconomic factors that exacerbate mental health disparities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It particularly focuses on areas affected by armed-conflicts in lower- and middle-income countries and provides an explanation of how this situation affects the scope of the SDGs.

The burden of knee osteoarthritis worldwide, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2019, along with an analysis of cross-national inequalities.

To describe the disease burden of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) globally, regionally, and in 204 countries by age, sex, and sociodemographic index (SDI) from 1990 to 2019, and to explore cross-national inequalities across SDI. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 database collected data on KOA worldwide from 1990 to 2019, including prevalence, incidence, years lived with disability (YLDs). The average annual percentage change (AAPC) was used to measure temporal trends. In addition, the inequality slope index and the health concentration index were calculated to quantify the unequal distribution of the burden of KOA across 204 countries worldwide. In 2019, the global age-standardized prevalence rate increased by 7.5% compared with 1990, and the age-standardized incidence rate increased by about 6.2%; The age-standardized YLDs rate increased by about 7.8%. In addition to the Republic of Korea and the United States of America, the disease burden of KOA has increased year by year in other countries around the world. The incidence of KOA was highest at ages 50-59, while the prevalence and rates of YLDs were highest at ages 75-84. The burden of KOA was higher in women than in men. Cross-country inequality suggests that the inequality in the burden of KOA between high SDI and low SDI countries becomes greater, and that countries with high SDI bear a disproportionately high burden. The global KOA burden has risen steadily between 1990 and 2019, and cross-national inequality gaps remain large. Targeted measures must therefore be taken to address this inequality and the increasing global KOA disease burden.

Visual impairment burden in retinopathy of prematurity: trends, inequalities, and improvement gaps.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an important cause of avoidable childhood visual impairment, and the increase in number and survival of premature infants may inflate its burden globally. We aimed to comprehensivelyassess the trends and inequalities in the burden of ROP-related visual impairment and to identify improvement gaps to facilitate appropriate actions in neonatal care systems.We obtained ROP data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. We employed joinpoint regression analysis to assess the trends of the burden of ROP-related visual impairment, measured by age-standardised prevalence rates, health equity analysis methods to evaluate cross-country burden inequalities, and data envelopment and stochastic frontier analyses to identify improvement gaps based on the development status, i.e., sociodemographic index (SDI).Between 1990 and 2019, the age-standardised prevalence rates of ROP-related visual impairmentsignificantly increased worldwide (average annual percentage change: 0.23 [95% confidenceinterval, 0.21-0.26] among males and 0.26 [0.25-0.27] among females), primarily in developed regions. Although significant SDI-related cross-country inequalities were identified, these reduced over time (slope index of inequality: -57.74 [-66.22 to -49.25] in 1990 to -29.68 [-38.39 to -20.97] in 2019; health concentration index: -0.11 [-0.13 to -0.09] in 1990 to -0.07 [-0.09 to -0.06] in 2019). Notably, some less-developed countries exhibited superior performance despite limited resources, whereas others with a higher SDI delivered lagging performance. Conclusion: The global burden of ROP-related visual impairment has steadily increased between 1990 and 2019, with disproportionate burden concentration among less-developed countries, requiring appropriate preventive and intervention measures. What is Known: • Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an important cause of avoidable childhood visual impairment. • The prevalence of ROP is anticipated to increase due to the growing number of extremely premature infants. What is New: • The prevalence of ROP-related visual impairment has increased worldwide, primarily in developed regions, with declining but persisting cross-country inequalities. • The increasing burden of ROP-related visual impairment should be considered as part of global and national health agendas, requiring interventions with proven efficacy.

Burden of pancreatic cancer in older adults globally, regionally, and in 204 countries: 1990-2019 and projections to 2030

Global aging is increasing; however, the epidemiologic characteristics of pancreatic cancer in older adults have not been systematically studied. This study used data on pancreatic cancer in older adults from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 project. Temporal trends were measured using average annual percentage change and predicted using a Bayesian age-period-cohort model. In addition, the inequality slope index and the health concentration index scores were calculated to quantify the unequal distribution of the burden of pancreatic cancer in older adults. Between 1990 and 2019, the number of pancreatic cancer deaths in older adults, age-standardized death rate (ASDR), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and age-standardized DALY rate increased globally. In 2019, ASDR and age-standardized DALY rate for pancreatic cancer in older adults were the highest in Southern Latin America, whereas the burden has grown the fastest over the past 30 years in the Caribbean. The burden is predominantly distributed among those aged 65 to 74 years, with males having a higher burden than that of females. The global proportion of pancreatic cancer deaths in older adults attributed to smoking, high fasting plasma glucose, and high body mass index were 21.7%, 10.3%, and 5.8%, respectively. Both absolute and relative cross-national inequalities declined over the past 30 years but remained at medium-high levels of relative inequality. Deaths from pancreatic cancer among older adults are expected to continue to increase over the next 11 years. The global burden of pancreatic cancer among older adults has continued to rise over the past 30 years, and cross-national health inequalities remain high. Therefore, targeted measures must be taken to address this inequality.

Impact of long-term care insurance on health inequality in older adults in China based on the concentration index approach.

Several studies have shown that social security would reduce health inequalities. However, little was known about the relationship between long-term care insurance and health inequality. We aimed to evaluate the impact of long-term care insurance on health status and health inequality in older adults using a nationally representative cohort. Based on four waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2018), we used the staggered difference in difference (DID) design with the order probit regression models and the concentration index approach as well as decomposition analysis to assess the contribution of long-term care insurance towards residents' health status and health inequality in older adults aged ≥65y. We further used the semi-parametric DID model for robustness testing. Long-term care insurance demonstrated its role, improving self-assessed health in the study population (βcoefficient: 0.090, 95% CI 0.087 to 0.092, p<0.001). The estimation results of the semi-parametric DID were consistent with those of the staggered DID. The income-related health concentration index was 0.0005, having a contribution rate of 1.639% to health inequality in older adults. Decomposition analysis revealed that different policies and residential areas were more influential on the observed health inequalities. The findings implied that long-term care insurance has widened the health inequality while improving health status in older adults. Additional investment in more comprehensive insurance coverage and increased accessibility to enhance implementation of long-term care insurance is warranted to close the gap.

The Impact of Socioeconomic Inequality on Mental Health among Adolescents in Qazvin, Iran: Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition Method.

Mental health is integral to public health in adolescents. Although previous studies have shown that low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with mental disorders (MD), it is unclear which mental health domains are most important. Thus, our study aimed to investigate the associations between 5 domains of mental disorder and SES inequality in adolescents. We conducted a cross-sectional study among adolescents (N = 1724). Associations between SES inequality with mental disorders, such as emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer relationship problems, and prosocial behavior, were examined. We used the concentration index (CI) to determine inequality. The gap between the low and high socioeconomic groups was decomposed into its determinants using the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method. Mental health's overall CI was -0.085 (P ˂ 0.001). The emotional problem was primarily caused by SES inequality (-0.094 [P = 0.004]). Decomposition of the gap between the 2 economic groups showed that physical activity, school performance, exercise, parents' smoking status, and gender were the most important determinants of inequality. SES inequality plays a vital role in adolescents' mental health. It seems that the emotional problem domain of mental health might be more amenable to interventions than other domains.

Socio-demographic indicators of self-reported health based on EQ-5D-3L: A cross-country analysis of population surveys from 18 countries.

Generic health-related quality of life instruments, such as the EQ-5D, are increasingly used by countries to monitor population health via general population health surveys. Our aim was to demonstrate analytic options to measure socio-demographic differences in self-reported health using the EuroQol Group's archive of EQ-5D-3L population surveys that accumulated over the past two decades. Analyses captured self-reported EQ-5D-3L data on over 100,000 individuals from 18 countries with nationally representative population surveys. Socio-demographic indicators employed were age, sex, educational level and income. Logistic regression odds ratios and the health concentration index methodology were used in the socio-demographic analysis of EQ-5D-3L data. Statistically significant socio-demographic differences existed in all countries (p < 0.01) with the EQ VAS based health concentration index varying from 0.090 to 0.157 across countries. Age had generally the largest contributing share, while educational level also had a consistent role in explaining lower levels of self-reported health. Further analysis in a subset of 7 countries with income data showed that, beyond educational level, income itself had an additional significant impact on self-reported health. Among the 5 dimensions of the EQ-5D-3L descriptive system, problems with usual activities and pain/discomfort had the largest contribution to the concentration of overall self-assessed health measured on the EQ VAS in most countries. The EQ-5D-3L was shown to be a powerful multi-dimensional instrument in the analyses of socio-demographic differences in self-reported health using various analytic methods. It offered a unique insight of inequalities by health dimensions.

Inequality in Peruvian neonatal mortality generated by poverty and education, 2011-2019.

This study aimed to analyze inequality in the neonatal mortality rate (NMR) between departments in Peru, generated by poverty and education, in the years 2011 and 2019. Ecological study based on the analysis of social inequalities in health, recommended by the World Health Organization. The health indicator was the NMR. Poverty, measured as the existence of at least one unmet basic need per department, and education, average years of study of women of childbearing age per department, were selected to stratify equity. We calculated the absolute inequality gap (AG), the relative inequality gap (RG) and the health concentration index (HCI). A higher NMR was found in departments with greater poverty and less education. In the NMR generated by poverty, the AG decreased from 8.13 to 2.24 between 2011-2019 and the RG from 2.08 to 1.31. The AG of the NMR according to education dropped from 4.50 to 2.31 and the RG from 1.62 to 1.28. The HCI registered values close to zero and with a decreasing trend; in 2019 it was 0.07 for poverty and 0.06 for education. There is inequality in neonatal mortality between departments in Peru according to poverty and education, which decreased between 2011 and 2019 mainly in the poor or less educated population. The Ministry of Health should continue to reduce neonatal mortality by promoting interventions with a greater population focus.

Tuberculosis and prison overcrowding from the perspective of social inequities in health in Colombia, 2018

ResumenIntroducción. La población privada de la libertad se encuentra afectada por la tuberculosis debido al hacinamiento carcelario. Esta situación refleja una inequidad en salud, entendida esta como una diferencia injusta y evitable.Objetivo. Estimar las condiciones de hacinamiento carcelario como inequidad en salud de la población privada de la libertad que padece tuberculosis en Colombia durante el 2018.Materiales y métodos. Estudio ecológico para estimar las inequidades a nivel nacional en la población privada de la libertad, utilizando la guía metodológica de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) para la medición de desigualdades. A partir de los datos del sistema de vigilancia en salud pública, la incidencia de tuberculosis sirvió como indicador y el porcentaje de hacinamiento se usó para estratificar la equidad.Resultados. La desigualdad relativa entre los quintiles de menor y mayor hacinamiento evidenció que la incidencia de la tuberculosis en la población privada de la libertad con mayor hacinamiento es 1,92 veces la del grupo con menor hacinamiento. El índice de desigualdad demostró un exceso de 724 casos de tuberculosis por cada 100.000 internos entre la población con mayor concentración de hacinamiento. El índice de concentración en salud fue de -0,121, lo que refleja que la incidencia se concentró en el grupo con más sobrepoblación.Conclusión. En Colombia, la población privada de la libertad en condiciones de hacinamiento y que padece tuberculosis, enfrenta desigualdades injustas y evitables, comparada con quienes no están en esas condiciones. Se requieren políticas que reduzcan el hacinamiento y mejoren las condiciones de vida en las cárceles.

Comparison of inequity in health-related quality of life among unemployed and employed individuals in China

BackgroundIn China, achieving health equity has been regarded as a key issue for health reform and development in the current context. It is well known that unemployment has a negative effect on health. However, few studies have addressed the association between unemployment and inequity in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This study aims to compare the inequality and inequity in HRQOL between the unemployed and employed in China.MethodsThe material regarding this study was derived from the Chinese National Health Services Survey of Shaanxi Province for 2013. We controlled for confounding factors by utilizing the coarsened exact matching method. Finally, 7524 employed individuals and 283 unemployed individuals who were 15 to 64 years old in urban areas were included in this study. We used HRQOL as the outcome variable, which was evaluated by using the Chinese version of EQ-5D-3L. The health concentration index, decomposition analysis based on the Tobit model, and the horizontal inequity index were employed to compute the socioeconomic-related equity between the unemployed and employed and the contribution of various factors.ResultsAfter matching, unemployed people tended to have poorer EQ-5D utility scores than employed people. There were statistically pro-rich inequalities in HRQOL among both employed and unemployed people, and the pro-rich health inequity of unemployed people was substantially higher than that of employed people. Economic status, age, education, smoking and health insurance were the factors influencing inequality in HRQOL between employed and unemployed individuals. Education status and basic health insurance have reduced the pro-rich inequity in HRQOL for unemployed people.ConclusionIt is suggested that unemployment intensifies inequality and inequity in HRQOL. According to policymakers, basic health insurance is still a critical health policy for improving health equity for the unemployed. Intervention initiatives aiming to tackle long-term unemployment through active labour market programmes, narrow economic gaps, improve educational equity and promote the health status of the unemployed should be considered by the government to achieve health equity.

Desigualdad social en México en el uso de servicios de tamizaje en adultos: un análisis de las encuestas nacionales de salud 2006 y 2012

To measure health inequality in the use of screen-ing services in adults from 20 to 59 years of age from the 2006 and 2012 national health and nutrition surveys. dults (detection of diabetes, hypertension, breast cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer), the Kuznets index, the slope inequality index and the health concentration index were estimated. Considering as social indicators schooling, ethnicity, unemployment, socioeconomic level and type of health protection. The coverage of the five tests increased, but the inequality observed only decreased in the interventions in women; and in the case of the detection of prostate cancer it was increased. While it is important to monitor the performance of curative services, the challenge remains to ensure effective and equitable access to early diagnosis services.

An equity analysis of health examination service utilization by women from underdeveloped areas in western China.

ObjectiveThis study sought to examine the sources of inequity in health examination service utilization by women from underdeveloped areas in western China.MethodsBased on data from the 5th National Health Service Survey in Shaanxi province, women’s utilization of health examination services was examined according to gynecological, cervical smear, and breast examination rates. The equity of health examination service utilization by 15- to 64-year-old women and the factors contributing to inequity were determined using the health concentration index, decomposition of the concentration index, and the horizontal inequity index.ResultsThe examination rates for gynecological, cervical smear, and breast exams for 15- to 64-year-old women in Shaanxi province were 40.61%, 27.08%, and 24.59%, respectively. The horizontal inequity indices of gynecological, cervical smear, and breast examination rates were 0.0480, 0.0423, and 0.0764, respectively, and each examination rate was higher for wealthy individuals. The contribution rates of economic status to the inequalities in gynecological, cervical smear, and breast examination rates were 65.80%, 74.31%, and 56.49%, respectively. The contribution rates of educational status to the inequalities in gynecological, cervical smear, and breast examination rates were 21.01%, 14.83% and 30.00%, respectively. The contribution rates of age to the inequalities in gynecological, cervical smear, and breast examination rates were 25.77%, 26.55%, and 18.40%, respectively.ConclusionsWomen’s health examination rates differed between populations with different socio-demographic characteristics. There is pro-wealth inequality in each examination rate. This study found that financial status, age, and education level were the main reasons for the unequal utilization of health examination services.

Analysis of Inequality in Healthcare Utilization among Pregnant Women in Nigeria: Concentration Index Approach

Social inequalities in health care are considered to arise from social and economic determinants outside the health care services. There is an increasing interest in the role of the health care system. It is generally assumed that socioeconomic gradients in access to health care are very high, but only recently has this been subject to critical review. This study adopts health concentration index as a measure of inequalities in health status among pregnant women in Nigeria. The study observes that socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare utilization in Nigeria can be attributed to the high level of poverty in the country, as a major barrier that discourages household from gaining access to health care services. For healthcare utilization among pregnant women in Nigeria to be effective, the study suggests for interventions in order to promote maternal health care service utilization among pregnant women in Nigeria.

The Challenge of Universal Eye Health in Latin America: distributive inequality of ophthalmologists in 14 countries

BackgroundNo comprehensive study currently exists on the supply of ophthalmologists across Latin America. We explored sociogeographic inequalities in the availability and distribution of ophthalmologists across 14 Latin American countries.MethodsThe National...

Measuring socioeconomic health inequalities in presence of multiple categorical information

While many of the measurement approaches in health inequality measurement assume the existence of a ratio-scale variable, most of the health information available in population surveys is given in the form of categorical variables. Therefore, the well-known inequality indices may not always be readily applicable to measure health inequality as it may result in the arbitrariness of the health concentration index's value. In this paper, we address this problem by changing the dimension in which the categorical information is used. We therefore exploit the multi-dimensionality of this information, define a new ratio-scale health status variable and develop positional stochastic dominance conditions that can be implemented in a context of categorical variables. We also propose a parametric class of population health and socioeconomic health inequality indices. Finally we provide a twofold empirical illustration using the Joint Canada/United States Surveys of Health 2004 and the National Health Interview Survey 2010.

Decomposing health achievement and socioeconomic health inequalities in presence of multiple categorical information

Although most of the measurement approaches in health inequality measurement assume the existence of a ratio-scale variable, most of the information on health available in population surveys is given in the form of categorical variables. This may result in the arbitrariness of the health concentration index's value. Makdissi and Yazbeck (2012) adopt a counting approach to overcome this problem. In this paper, we use this counting approach and decompose socioeconomic health inequality and achievement by categories of health problems and by region in the United States using the National Health Interview Survey 2010.

Longitudinal methods to investigate the role of health determinants in the dynamics of income-related health inequality

The usual starting point for understanding changes in income-related health inequality (IRHI) over time has been regression-based decomposition procedures for the health concentration index. However the reliance on repeated cross-sectional analysis for this purpose prevents both the appropriate specification of the health function as a dynamic model and the identification of important determinants of the transition processes underlying IRHI changes such as those relating to mortality. This paper overcomes these limitations by developing alternative longitudinal procedures to analyse the role of health determinants in driving changes in IRHI through both morbidity changes and mortality, with our dynamic modelling framework also serving to identify their contribution to long-run or structural IRHI. The approach is illustrated by an empirical analysis of the causes of the increase in IRHI in Great Britain between 1999 and 2004.

Socio-Economic Inequalities in Health - Measurement Problems and the Results of Analyses for Poland

Population health status has improved in the EU in the recent years, but health inequalities continue to be considerable, both within individual Member States and among them. Reducing human potential, the inequalities seriously burden the Member States and their health care systems. Policies aimed at removing the inequalities could help increase productivity, constrained by diseases and premature mortality. The article presents the results of an empirical investigation into the magnitude of the socio-economic health inequality in Poland. The inequality was measured with the health concentration index indicating the inequality of health status distribution caused by economic status. A valuable property of the health concentration index is that it can be decomposed, thus allowing the identification of the sources of the inequality. The investigation took account of the fact that gender causes variations in the values of health indicators.

Inequities in skilled attendance at birth in Namibia: a decomposition analysis.

BackgroundThe fifth Millennium Development Goal (MDG5) aims at improving maternal health. Globally, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) declined from 400 to 260 per 100000 live births between 1990 and 2008. During the same period, MMR in sub-Saharan Africa decreased from 870 to 640. The decreased in MMR has been attributed to increase in the proportion of deliveries attended by skilled health personnel. Global improvements maternal health and health service provision indicators mask inequalities both between and within countries. In Namibia, there are significant inequities in births attended by skilled providers that favour those that are economically better off. The objective of this study was to identify the drivers of wealth-related inequalities in child delivery by skilled health providers.MethodsNamibia Demographic and Health Survey data of 2006-07 are analysed for the causes of inequities in skilled birth attendance using a decomposable health concentration index and the framework of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health.ResultsAbout 80.3% of the deliveries were attended by skilled health providers. Skilled birth attendance in the richest quintile is about 70% more than that of the poorest quintile. The rate of skilled attendance among educated women is almost twice that of women with no education. Furthermore, women in urban areas access the services of trained birth attendant 30% more than those in rural areas. Use of skilled birth attendants is over 90% in Erongo, Hardap, Karas and Khomas Regions, while the lowest (about 60-70%) is seen in Kavango, Kunene and Ohangwena. The concentration curve and concentration index show statistically significant wealth-related inequalities in delivery by skilled providers that are to the advantage of women from economically better off households (C = 0.0979; P < 0.001).Delivery by skilled health provider by various maternal and household characteristics was 21 percentage points higher in urban than rural areas; 39 percentage points higher among those in richest wealth quintile than the poorest; 47 percentage points higher among mothers with higher level of education than those with no education; 5 percentage points higher among female headed households than those headed by men; 20 percentage points higher among people with health insurance cover than those without; and 31 percentage points higher in Karas region than Kavango region.ConclusionInequalities in wealth and education of the mother are seen to be the main drivers of inequities in the percentage of births attended by skilled health personnel. This clearly implies that addressing inequalities in access to child delivery services should not be confined to the health system and that a concerted multi-sectoral action is needed in line with the principles of the Primary health Care.