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Self-rated health: inequalities and potential determinants
Evangelos C Alexopoulos1, Mary Geitona
1Department of Public Health, Medical School, University of Patras, 26500 Rio Patras, Greece. ecalexop@upatras.gr
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|October 15, 2009
Summary
Social inequalities significantly impact health, with women, older individuals, and those with chronic conditions reporting poorer self-rated health (SRH). Understanding these health disparities is crucial for equitable healthcare resource distribution.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Epidemiology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Social inequalities in health are a critical area of study, influencing population health outcomes.
- Investigating social determinants of health is essential for developing effective public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine social inequalities in self-rated health (SRH) within Greece.
- To identify key demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors associated with poor SRH.
Main Methods:
- A representative sample of 1,000 participants provided individual, socioeconomic, and health data.
- Multivariate analysis was employed to assess associations between various factors and SRH.
- Self-rated health (SRH) was the primary outcome measure.
Main Results:
- Significant health inequalities were observed, with 20.8% of men and 37.2% of women reporting poor SRH.
- Poor SRH strongly correlated with gender, age, insurance status, and chronic diseases.
- Social insurance partially mediated the effects of education, income, and residence on SRH.
Conclusions:
- Findings highlight substantial health inequalities in Greece, particularly affecting women and those with chronic conditions.
- Interventions should prioritize preventive measures and equitable healthcare resource allocation.
- Addressing social determinants is key to mitigating health disparities.
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