Indicators Of Social Inequality Research Articles

Comparative Analysis of Poverty and Social Inequality Indicators in the Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation as a Criterion of National Economic Security

Comparative Analysis of Poverty and Social Inequality Indicators in the Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation as a Criterion of National Economic Security

Social inequality and mental health

Social inequality refers to the inequitable distribution of social prosperity including the resource of health. The relationship between social inequality and mental health can be established by means of indicators of social inequality throughout all age groups in Germany. There are social gradients of mental health on the population level, i.e. the linear relationship between social classes or status and state of health. Fundamental determinants of health disparity are cultural, social, political, and geographical conditions, which interact with the genetic make-up and epigenetic processes. These determinants also influence the management of developmental tasks during the life course and are of utmost importance for the development of mental disorders. The maladaptation to chronic stress is at the core of health disparity. Interventions at the individual behavioral level should comprise the development of stress management and coping strategies.

Social patterning in Indonesian adolescent smoking: A mediation analysis of family smoking, parental control, and parental permissiveness

Objective: In poorer communities, smoking has demonstrated as an indicator of social inequalities in mortality. Adolescents from poor family are often exposed to smoking and are more vulnerable to ...

СИСТЕМА ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ И СОЦИАЛЬНОЕ НЕРАВЕНСТВО: АНАЛИЗ ЗАРУБЕЖНЫХ ПОДХОДОВ К ИССЛЕДОВАНИЮ ПРОБЛЕМЫ

Международный опыт реформирования системы образования свидетельствует о значительных проблемах социального неравенства в получении услуг образования. Существующее неравенство доходов – индикатор социального неравенства образовательных возможностей. Объект исследования: система образования развитых стран. Предмет исследования: неравные возможности в получении образования. Показано, что различия между странами в уровне образования граждан коррелируют с разнообразием мест проживания и неравенством доходов домохозяйств. Доступность образования и преодоление социального неравенства является необходимым компонентом социально-экономического и культурного развития общества. Образование является инструментом установления равенства граждан. Имея высшее образование, гражданин может изменить социальное положение и уровень доходов. Однако, в современном мире институт образования не только усугубляет социальное неравенство, но и закрепляет разделение общества на социальные слои. Анализ зарубежных подходов позволил определить тенденцию углубления социального неравенства; в мировом сообществе, ориентирующемся на модель глобального образования, изменения в доступности обучения средним и низшим слоям населения не произошло.Цель: выявить, по материалам существующей литературы, подходы к анализу социального неравенства в системе образования в зарубежных странах.Метод и методология проведения работы: использовался сравнительный метод исследования методической, аналитической, социологической, педагогической литературы по изучению международного опыта реформирования системы образования и возникающим проблемам социального неравенства. Исследование основывалось на опыте, представленном в международных публикациях сборников научных статей и научно-методических периодических изданиях.Результаты: выявлена корреляционная связь между неравенством доходов, разнообразием мест проживания и уровнем образования.Область применения результатов: международный образовательный опыт может быть использован Россией, входящей в мировое образовательное пространство и меняющей образовательную политику на всех уровнях образования, с целью объединения усилий по преодолению общей проблемы социального неравенства.

Different statistical measures create different perceptions of the digital divide

Simultaneous two-dimensional comparisons of time series data—vertically (static difference) and horizontally (Sicherl-time-distance)—for numerous ITU and Eurostat datasets show that estimates of the magnitude of digital divide can differ substantially between conventional static measures and Sicherl-time-distance, a dynamic measure of disparity. Comparing digital divide indicators with other indicators of social inequality (life expectancy, infant mortality), the analysis shows that high ICT growth rate improved well-being in developing countries and reduced some world inequalities. This methodology enables researchers, policy makers, and business managers how to draw new insights from existing data, including monitoring the attainment of targets.

Social inequalities and collective action in times of crisis: The case of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area

ABSTRACTDuring the international financial crisis, Portugal found itself in a very difficult and vulnerable socioeconomic situation that has led to an increase in social inequalities. This article seeks to understand two things: firstly, how much the impacts of the crisis contributed to a general perception that people's social position has gone backwards, compared to their pre-crisis situations; secondly, whether it is possible to link this generalized perception that living conditions have gone downhill to an increase in and diversification of collective action practices. The authors analyse data from a 2014 survey of 1,500 residents of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, which they use to measure how far the level of collective action practices has increased and varied in accordance with a set of social inequality indicators, such as resource and educational inequalities.

Reducing social inequalities in the oral health of an adult population.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between social inequality indicators and oral health conditions in an adult population. This prospective cohort study assessed a probabilistic sampling of adults (aged 20-64 years) living in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Oral examinations were performed in 2011 and 2015, conducted at home, and used the decay-missing-filled (DMFT) index of permanent teeth, the Community Periodontal Index (CPI), and the visible biofilm criterion. A questionnaire was administered to determine demographic and socioeconomic aspects and dental services used, and collect oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) data. Social inequality indicators were evaluated according to social class (high, middle or low) and type of dental service used (public, health insurance or private), and compared with oral health conditions (visible biofilm, DMFT and incidence of tooth loss, periodontal pockets and bleeding, and OHRQoL), evaluated between 2011 and 2015. Analysis using chi-squared or Fisher tests (p < 0.05) and Cochran's Q test was conducted separately for each category analyzed between 2011 and 2015 (p < 0.05). A total of 143 adults who participated in an earlier study were examined after four years of follow-up. Although the occurrence of oral disease did not decrease over the study period (4 years), there was a reduction in inequality among lower social classes in regard to presence of tooth decay and oral health impact on self-perceived quality of life between 2011 and 2015 (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the Brazilian National Oral Health Policy has achieved its principles, especially that of greater equity.

Using geographically weighted regression for social inequality analysis: association between mentally unhealthy days (MUDs) and socioeconomic status (SES) in U.S. counties

ABSTRACTThis research explores geographic variability of factors on social inequality related to mental health in the United States using county-level data in 2014. First, we account for complex design factors in Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data such as clustering, stratification, and sample weight using Complex Samples General Linear Model (CSGLM). Then, three variables are used in the model as indicators of social inequality, low socioeconomic status (SES): unemployment, education status, and social association status. A geographically weighted regression analysis is applied to examine the spatial variations in the associations of mentally unhealthy days (MUDs) with the indicators of SES in the United States. The results demonstrate that unemployment and education level show global positive and negative influences respectively on MUDs. Social association status ranged from positive to negative across the United States, implying some geographic clustering. These findings suggest that social and health policies should be adjusted to address the different effects of indicators of social inequality on mental health across different social characteristics of communities to more effectively manage mental health problems.

Social Inequalities and Rehabilitation Among Patients with Mental Illness

Objectives: The concept of social position ("soziale Lagen") includes horizontal (gender, age) and vertical (occupation, education) indicators of social inequalities. For the first time, this concept is used to identify health and health care inequalities among rehabilitation patients with mental illness. Methods: Analyses are based on a survey of 327 patients with mental illness in rehabilitation clinics in northern Germany. Social inequalities are analyzed according to psychosocial health at baseline, utilization of therapies during the stay and psychosocial health 4 month after discharge by applying bi- and multivariate statistical procedures. Results: Vertical inequalities were found in psychosocial health at baseline and 4 months later. In contrast, no inequalities were found in the utilization of therapies during the stay. Conclusion: Health inequalities can be identified by vertical indicators, whereas horizontal indicators are not significantly associated with health outcomes in this study.

Examining health literacy disparities in the United States: a third look at the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL).

BackgroundIn the United States, disparities in health literacy parallel disparities in health outcomes. Our research contributes to how diverse indicators of social inequalities (i.e., objective social class, relational social class, and social resources) contribute to understanding disparities in health literacy.MethodsWe analyze data on respondents 18 years of age and older (N = 14,592) from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) restricted access data set. A series of weighted Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models estimate the association between respondent’s demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status (SES), relational social class, social resources and an Item Response Theory (IRT) based health literacy measure.ResultsOur findings are consistent with previous research on the social and SES determinants of health literacy. However, our findings reveal the importance of relational social status for understanding health literacy disparities in the United States. Objective indicators of social status are persistent and robust indicators of health literacy. Measures of relational social status such as civic engagement (i.e., voting, volunteering, and library use) are associated with higher health literacy levels net of objective resources. Social resources including speaking English and marital status are associated with higher health literacy levels.ConclusionsRelational indicators of social class are related to health literacy independent of objective social class indicators. Civic literacy (e.g., voting and volunteering) are predictors of health literacy and offer opportunities for health intervention. Our findings support the notion that health literacy is a social construct and suggest the need to develop a theoretically driven conceptual definition of health literacy that includes a civic literacy component.

Factors related to disability pensions – a cross-sectional analysis from a university hospital in Istanbul

IntroductionMental disorders are one of the leading reasons for disability-related retirement and payment of associated long-term benefits in many countries.ObjectivesTo explore the characteristics of psychiatric outpatients who apply for disability pensions and to investigate the factors associated with making an application.MethodsA four-month cross-sectional evaluation of disability pension and retirement applications to the psychiatry outpatient clinic in a university hospital in Istanbul.ResultsThe majority of 144 patients were male (n = 102, 70.8%), based in Istanbul, married, living with their families and had no occupation at the time of inquiry. Excluding applications for individuals with a diagnosis of intellectual disability (n = 44), most applicants were primary school graduates (n = 31, 32.3%). For the whole group, the median age of application was 34. 60%, (n = 87) had an established psychiatric diagnosis before the application, with average duration since diagnosis of approximately 8 years. The most frequent diagnoses were intellectual disability, followed by schizophrenia and depression. More than half of the patients were treated only outpatiently, with no hospitalization (n = 55, 58%). Thirty-two of them (22.4%) had a comorbid psychiatric diagnosis and 58 (40.3%) had at least one comorbid medical diagnosis.ConclusionsThere are some similarities between our findings and findings from other countries, such as low educational level and frequent comorbid somatic diseases among patients applying for disability pension. In contrast with the literature and as an indicator of social inequality, most patients applied for disability pension were male. The results are reflecting the specificities of different health systems and cultural perceptions of disability.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Concepts of social epidemiology in health services research.

BackgroundSocial epidemiologists aim to identify social characteristics that affect the pattern of disease and health distribution in a society and to understand its mechanisms. Some important concepts of social epidemiology are: social inequalities, social relationships, social capital, and work stress.DiscussionConcepts used in social epidemiology can make a useful contribution to health services research because the underlying social factors do not only influence health but are also related to health care. Social inequality indicators like education or income have an impact on access to health care as well as on utilization and quality of health care. Social relationships influence adherence to medical treatment, help-seeking behavior, utilization of health services, and outcomes. Social capital in health care organizations is an important factor for the delivery of high-quality coordinated care. Job stress is highly prevalent among health care providers and can not only affect their health but also their performance.SummaryThe theoretical considerations behind factors like social inequalities, social relationships, social capital and work stress can enrich health services research because theory helps to specify the research question, to clarify methodological issues, to understand how social factors are related to health care, and to develop and implement interventions.

Shadow Education in Spain: Examining Social Inequalities Through the Analysis of PISA Results

This article examines the use of shadow education by students of compulsory secondary education in Spain over the period 2000−2010. The study identifies the proportion of the student population that uses this type of education and examines how the use of shadow education has evolved during this period. Data was drawn from the student questionnaire in the PISA report, which gathered information on extra lessons in the four studies conducted between 2000 and 2009. The study also contrasted the data on the use of extra classes with the socioeconomic profile of students and other indicators of social inequality.

Family affluence and cultural capital as indicators of social inequalities in adolescent’s eating behaviours: a population-based survey

BackgroundDietary inequality, via socio-economic inequality, may involve several mechanisms. Different aspects of adolescents’ socio-economic circumstances should therefore be considered in order to make effective interventions to promote healthy eating in the young population. Indicators designed to tap socio-economic status among adolescents in particular will facilitate a better understanding of the concept of socio-economic status and how it influences health behaviour among young people. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if material capital and cultural capital individually and independently contribute to the prediction of eating habits in the Norwegian adolescent population.MethodsThe analysis is based on survey data from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study. The Family Affluence Scale (number of cars, holidays, PC and bedrooms) and number of books in the household were used as indicators of socio-economic status, respectively measuring material capital and cultural capital. Their influence on adolescent’s consumption of fruit, vegetables, sweets, soft drinks, and consumption of breakfast and dinner was evaluated. Pearson’s correlation, logistic regression and ridit transformation analysis were used to analyse the data.ResultsHigher family affluence was shown to predict consumption of more fruit (OR 1.52) and vegetables (OR 1.39) and consumption of breakfast (OR 1.61) and dinner (1.35). Cultural capital was significantly associated to consumption of fruit (OR 1.85), vegetables (OR 2.38) sweets (OR .45), sugary soft drinks (OR .26), breakfast (OR 2.13) and dinner (OR 1.54). Cultural capital was the strongest predictor to healthy eating among adolescents in Norway.ConclusionsMaterial capital and cultural capital individually and independently contributed to the prediction of healthy eating patterns among adolescents in Norway. Cultural capital is an understudied dimension of the socio-economic status concept and the influence on health behaviour needs to be explored in future studies. Initiatives to promote healthy eating should focus on education, habits and consciousness of a healthy diet, but also at reducing the high cost of fruit and vegetables. There is further a need for developing appropriate indicators for adolescent socio-economic status.

Do social relations explain health inequalities? Evidence from a longitudinal survey in a changing eastern German region

This study explores the contribution of social relations to explain inequalities in self-rated health in a changing north-eastern German region. So far, there are only few studies that analysed the mediating effects of social relations in a longitudinal design. We used data from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) consisting of 3,300 randomly selected men and women at baseline (2001), and at the 5-year follow-up (2006). Indicators of social inequality were education, equivalent household income and occupational status. Social relations were estimated by the Social Integration Index (SII) and the perceived instrumental and emotional support. Self-rated general health was assessed at both waves of data collection. Depending on the indicators used, social relations explain up to 35% of the inequalities in self-rated health. Changes in odds ratios are slightly more pronounced when education and income are used as inequality indicator and when adjusting for the SII. Overall findings suggest that social relations are an important explanatory factor for health inequalities in a deprived German region.

Association between low income, depression, self-efficacy and mass-incident-related strains: an understanding of mass incidents in China

This study investigated the associations between income, depression, self-efficacy and health and the strains associated with mass incidents in a Chinese city. It further investigated whether depression, self-efficacy and health status mediate relationships between income and mass-incident-related strains. A representative sample of mass-incident participants from Chong Qing, aged 18 years and over, participated using a questionnaire. Of the 480 surveys returned, 465 (88%) were usable. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the relationship model to use strains as the main outcome variable, income as a predictor and self-rated general health status, depression and self-efficacy as mediators. High levels of strains were significantly associated with low levels of income, and this association was mediated by a fair to poor level of health status, depression and low levels of self-efficacy. Income as an indicator of social inequality revealed its significant predictive role in the occurrence of mass incidents through its impact on high levels of strains and its association with depression, fair to poor health and low levels of self-efficacy. Further study will benefit from a follow-up study to determine the causal relationship between income and strains, and a representative population that includes children and the elderly be included in the next phase of the study.

Literacy inequalities in theory and practice: The power to name and define

I analyse what exactly is being addressed when the notion of ‘literacy inequalities’ is cited in the context of international policy with regard to education in general and literacy in particular. Whilst literacy statistics are used as indicators of social inequality and as a basis for policy in improving rights, educational attainment, etc., I question to what extent literacy levels (or various accounts of ‘lack of literacy’) can be taken as offering a valid account of ‘inequality’ in the larger international context. Recent work on literacy from an ethnographic perspective has questioned the international categorisation of a single uniform thing called ‘literacy’, from which consequences can be drawn and has instead focused on local meanings and cultural variations in what counts. In particular I take issue with arguments rooted in economic generalisation on the one hand, by such authors as Amartya Sen, and on the other in moral universalism, in the work of such authors as Nussbaum.I argue that an ethnographic perspective offers two major contributions to this debate: (1) that ethnographic perspectives and an understanding of literacy practices as multiple and culturally varied, can help avoid simplistic and often ethnocentric claims regarding the consequences of literacy based on one-dimensional and culturally narrow categories and definitions and (2) that an ethnographic perspective can sensitise us to the ways in which the power to name and define is a crucial component of inequality. I will elaborate on these two ‘contributions’ with reference both to theoretical debates in the field in recent years and to examples of practice in literacy programmes in different international contexts.

Soziale Ungleichheit in der wahrgenommenen Qualität der Arzt-Patienten-Beziehung bei chronisch Kranken

Several recent German studies indicate an association between social inequality and quality of health care, i.e., patients with a low socioeconomic position receive lower quality care than patients with a high position. In this study, we investigate whether two indicators of social inequality (education and income) are associated with the perceived quality of the doctor-patient relationship among chronically ill men and women. Data basis is the TNS Health Care Access Panel (N=27 049). For the analyses chronically ill respondents were selected from the sample (N=12 343). In a multiple logistic regression analysis, odds ratios were calculated separately for men and women and for three age groups (18-30, 31-60, 61 years and older). We used three indicators for measuring the quality in the doctor-patient relationship: trust in physician, information received from the physician and participation in the decision-making process. Results show that income and education are consistently though weakly associated with the perceived quality of the doctor-patient relationship. Among chronically ill men and women with comparatively low income and educational level odds for rating the perceived quality of health care as suboptimal are slightly higher. This is especially true for the group of old chronically ill persons (61 years and older). Social inequality is associated with perceived quality of health care among chronically ill older men and women in Germany. These inequalities in health care can be explained by patient factors (e.g., information seeking, participation seeking) and physician related factors (e.g., providing information).

Soziale Ungleichheit und gesundheitliche Versorgung im höheren Lebensalter

In this article the association between social inequality and selected aspects of health care among the aged is analysed. Analyses are based on German data (release 1) of the 'Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe' (SHARE) in 2004. Data from 1921 respondents aged 50 years or more are analysed. Three indicators of social inequality are used (education, income, and financial assets). In terms of health care, indicators of geriatric assessment by the general practitioner of the respondent (questions about balance, physical exercise, and drugs as well as examination of balance and weight control) and secondary prevention (mammogram, endoscopic examination of colon, eye examination) are included. Results of cross-tabs and logistic regression analyses show that geriatric assessment is less comprehensive among people in a comparatively high socioeconomic position. On the other hand, people in a higher socioeconomic position use screening examinations more often than those in a lower position. Inconsistency of results indicates the necessity to distinguish different areas of health care when analysing social inequalities. Moreover, results indicate that no simple answer can be given to the question whether and to what extent social inequalities in health among older people can be explained by inequalities in medical care.

Spatial pattern of HIV-1 mother-to-child-transmission in Madrid (Spain) from 1980 till now: demographic and socioeconomic factors

To evaluate any possible association between indicators of social inequalities and the geographical distribution of HIV-1 mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) cases in Madrid. We carried out an observational survey of 224 HIV-1 vertically infected children born in 1980-2006 living in Madrid. We elaborated maps representing the prevalence of HIV-1 MTCT cases. We assessed the association between indicators of social inequalities and the spatial distribution of MTCT cases. Poisson univariate and multivariate analysis of risk factors for MTCT were performed. We identified core areas of transmission mainly in southern Madrid until 2006. The prevalence of MTCT cases was significantly correlated to the percentage of immigrants, illiterates, unemployed women and the income in 1996 and 2000/2001. The risk of MTCT increased in the periods up to 1996 compared with the calendar period 1980-1989, whereas the risk decreased in 1999-2006 [relative risk, 0.08; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.03-0.18; P < 0.001]. The risk was especially high in the districts of Usera (absolute relative risk, 11.4; 95% CI, 2.6-49.5; P = 0.001), Puente de Vallecas (absolute relative risk, 14.0; 95% CI, 3.4-57.9; P < 0.001) and San Blas (absolute relative risk, 12.5; 95% CI, 2.9-53.6; P = 0.001). The percentage of illiterates was the indicator that explained the risk of MTCT (absolute relative risk, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05-1.10; P = 0.001). We observed a geographic heterogeneity of the HIV-1 vertical transmission with the highest prevalence in disadvantaged districts. What is described in the present review is the HIV-1 vertical transmission within a social context; this approach could be relevant in analysing the pattern of HIV-1 transmission in other Western cities or highlighting the distribution of other infectious diseases.