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Class and health: comparing Britain and Sweden
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|January 1, 1986
Summary
Health inequalities between social classes in Sweden mirror those in Britain, particularly for long-standing illnesses. These disparities emerge in middle age, not in youth, based on self-reported health data.
Area of Science:
- Social Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Health Economics
Background:
- Socioeconomic status significantly impacts health outcomes.
- The Black Report highlighted health inequalities in Britain.
- Cross-national comparisons are crucial for understanding health disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare social class differences in health between Sweden and Britain.
- To investigate the emergence of health inequalities across the life course using self-reported morbidity data.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of self-reported morbidity data.
- Logistic regression modeling for long-standing illness.
- Comparison of health patterns across social classes and age groups.
Main Results:
- Similar patterns of long-standing illness risk across social classes were observed in Sweden and Britain.
- Health inequalities appear more pronounced in Britain.
- For acute sickness, differences in reporting patterns obscured clear class disparities.
- In Sweden, health inequalities are minimal in youth but emerge in middle age.
Conclusions:
- Social class significantly influences long-standing illness risk in both Sweden and Britain.
- Health inequalities develop over the life course, becoming apparent in middle age in Sweden.
- Self-reported morbidity data can reveal age-related patterns of social inequality in health.