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Can subjective and objective socioeconomic status explain minority health disparities in Israel?

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  • Baron-Epel, Orna
  • Kaplan, Giora

Abstract

Disparities in health exist between the three main population groups in Israel, non-immigrant Jews, immigrants from the former Soviet Union (arriving in Israel since 1990) and Arabs. This study examines the relationship between health and socioeconomic status in this multicultural population and assesses to what extent subjective and objective socioeconomic measures may explain the disparities in health. AÂ random cross sectional telephone survey of 1004 Israelis aged 35-65 was performed. The questionnaire measured physical and mental health-related quality of life using the Short Form 12. Information regarding subjective socioeconomic status (SSS) and objective socioeconomic status (SES) was collected. Arabs and immigrant women from the former Soviet Union had worse physical health compared to non-immigrant Jews. Immigrant and Arab men and women had worse mental health compared to non-immigrant Jews. Multivariable log-linear regression analysis adjusting for age, SSS or SES explained the disparities in physical health between Arab and non-immigrant Jewish men. However, SSS and SES did not explain the disparities in physical health between the three groups of women. The disparities in mental health between immigrants and non-immigrant Jews can be explained by SSS for both men and women, whereas the disparities between Arabs and Jews can be explained by objective SES only among women. Employed men reported better physical and mental health. Part of the disparities in mental health in Israel can be attributed to differences in SSS and SES in the different groups. However, there is a need to identify additional factors that may add to the disparities in both physical and mental health. The disparities due to socioeconomic status vary by health measure and population group.

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  • Baron-Epel, Orna & Kaplan, Giora, 2009. "Can subjective and objective socioeconomic status explain minority health disparities in Israel?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 1460-1467, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:69:y:2009:i:10:p:1460-1467
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    2. Mesch, Gustavo & Mano, Rita & Tsamir, Judith, 2012. "Minority status and health information search: A test of the social diversification hypothesis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(5), pages 854-858.
    3. Sharon Merkin & Hadar Arditi-Babchuk & Tamy Shohat, 2015. "Neighborhood socioeconomic status and self-rated health in Israel: the Israel National Health Interview Survey," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 60(6), pages 651-658, September.
    4. Md. Emaj Uddin, 2017. "Family Demographic Mechanisms Linking of Socioeconomic Status to Subjective Physical Health in Rural Bangladesh," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 130(3), pages 1263-1279, February.
    5. Anat Jaffe & Shmuel Giveon & Liat Wulffhart & Bernice Oberman & Maslama Baidousi & Arnona Ziv & Ofra Kalter-Leibovici, 2017. "Adult Arabs have higher risk for diabetes mellitus than Jews in Israel," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(5), pages 1-9, May.
    6. Abu-Qarn, Aamer & Lichtman-Sadot, Shirlee, 2021. "Older Adult Health Following Greater Access to Secondary Health Care: Evidence from Bus Service Introductions to Arab Towns in Israel," IZA Discussion Papers 14490, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Marcel Sieberer & Saša Maksimović & Burcu Ersöz & Wielant Machleidt & Marc Ziegenbein & Iris T. Calliess, 2012. "Depressive symptoms in first-and second-generation migrants: A cross-sectional study of a multi-ethnic working population," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 58(6), pages 605-613, November.
    8. Abu-Qarn, Aamer & Lichtman-Sadot, Shirlee, 2022. "Can greater access to secondary health care decrease health inequality? Evidence from bus line introduction to Arab towns in Israel," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    9. Pedro Marques-Vidal & Peter Vollenweider & Gérard Waeber & Fred Paccaud, 2012. "The prevalence and management of cardiovascular risk factors in immigrant groups in Switzerland," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 57(1), pages 63-77, February.
    10. Ameed Saabneh, 2015. "Ethnic Health Inequalities in Unequal Societies: Morbidity Gaps Between Palestinians and Jews in Israel," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 31(4), pages 445-466, October.

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