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Measuring Income-Related Health Inequalities in Sweden

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  • Gerdtham, Ulf-G

    (Centre for Health Economics)

  • Sundberg, Gun

    (Department of Economics)

Abstract

In Sweden, health, measured as self-assessed health, is distributed fairly evenly in an international perspective. The purpose of this paper is to study whether specific disorders and diseases also are distributed fairly evenly. There are 44 diseases or disorders dealt with in this study, from a common cold or cough to serious diseases such as cancer and heart attack. All disorders and diseases are rated on a three-point scale. The data used are the Swedish Level of Living Survey from 1981 and 1991 (LNU81 and LNU91), where income data received from the National Tax Statistics have been linked to the LNU data. The method is the same as the one used by the EC-group on equity, where the different disorders and diseases are measured by concentration indices. All 44 illness conditions are age and sex standardized. The income measure is disposable household income per equivalent adult. The results show that even if there are no inequalities in health in Sweden, there are significant inequalities in diseases and disorders, as well as differences between the two periods 1980 and 1990. In general, the inequalities in the diseases and disorders were less obvious in 1980 than in 1990.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerdtham, Ulf-G & Sundberg, Gun, 1996. "Measuring Income-Related Health Inequalities in Sweden," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 120, Stockholm School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:hastef:0120
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Svensson, Mikael, 2006. "Economic Upturns are Good for Your Heart but Watch out for Accidents," Working Papers 2006:9, Örebro University, School of Business, revised 26 Jun 2007.
    2. MALESHKOV Hristo, 2004. "Social and Economic Circumstances of Sex Differentials in Poor Health of Elderly Population," IRISS Working Paper Series 2004-06, IRISS at CEPS/INSTEAD.
    3. Mariano Rojas, 2007. "A Subjective Well-being Equivalence Scale for Mexico: Estimation and Poverty and Income-distribution Implications," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(3), pages 273-293.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Equity; distribution; inequalities; health;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C30 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - General

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