Income inequality and multimorbidity patterns in China: a micro-level analysis using CHARLS
Mengqian Ouyang1, Bowen Liu2, Riping Xu3
1Department of Economics, Guangdong Institute of Public Administration, Guangzhou, China.
Frontiers in Public Health
|May 1, 2025
Summary
Income inequality in China significantly increases the risk of multimorbidity, especially for those with lower wages. Targeted income redistribution and developmental investments are key to reducing these health disparities.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Economics
- Sociology
Background:
- Income-related health inequality is a significant global challenge impacting social and economic well-being.
- While links between income inequality and chronic diseases are studied, research on multimorbidity is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the impact of income inequality on multimorbidity in China.
- To identify multimorbidity patterns and analyze variations across demographics and regions.
- To investigate the role of household economic decisions in health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.
- Employed the Kakwani Index for individual-level income inequality assessment.
- Applied Latent Class Analysis for multimorbidity pattern identification and RIF regression for disparity breakdown.
Main Results:
- Lower relative wage income strongly correlated with increased chronic diseases and specific multimorbidity patterns (e.g., Respiratory-Cardiovascular).
- Income redistribution partially mitigated negative health impacts; effects varied by age and region.
- Developmental expenditures proved more effective than healthcare spending in reducing disparities.
Conclusions:
- Policy should prioritize targeted income redistribution and developmental initiatives to combat health inequalities.
- Addressing income inequality is crucial for improving population health and reducing the burden of multimorbidity.
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