Health Economics Letter

Overall versus socioeconomic health inequality: a measurement framework and two empirical illustrations

  1. Adam Wagstaff1,2,*,
  2. Eddy van Doorslaer3

Article first published online: 2 JUN 2003

DOI: 10.1002/hec.822

Issue

Health Economics

Health Economics

Volume 13, Issue 3, pages 297–301, March 2004

Additional Information

How to Cite

Wagstaff, A. and Doorslaer, E. v. (2004), Overall versus socioeconomic health inequality: a measurement framework and two empirical illustrations. Health Economics, 13: 297–301. doi: 10.1002/hec.822

Author Information

  1. 1

    Development Research Group and Human Development Network, The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA

  2. 2

    School of Social Sciences, The University of Sussex, Brighton, UK

  3. 3

    Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

*The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington, DC 20433, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 18 FEB 2004
  2. Article first published online: 2 JUN 2003
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 17 MAR 2003
  4. Manuscript Received: 25 JAN 2002

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Keywords:

  • health inequality;
  • socioeconomic inequality in health;
  • socioeconomic health differentials

Abstract

This paper outlines a framework for comparing empirically overall health inequality and socioeconomic health inequality. The framework, which is developed for both individual-level data and grouped data, is illustrated using data on malnutrition amongst Vietnamese children and on health utility amongst Canadian adults. In both cases, the degree of socioeconomic inequality is estimated at around 25% of overall inequality. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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