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The diffusion of innovative diabetes technologies as a fundamental cause of social inequalities in health. The Nord‐Trøndelag Health Study, Norway
Author(s) -
Weiss Daniel,
Sund Erik R.,
Freese Jeremy,
Krokstad Steinar
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
sociology of health and illness
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1467-9566
pISSN - 0141-9889
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9566.13147
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , inequality , social inequality , health equity , gerontology , emerging technologies , psychology , environmental health , social determinants of health , demography , demographic economics , public health , sociology , medicine , population , economics , computer science , mathematics , mathematical analysis , nursing , artificial intelligence
This study investigates patterns of adoption and diffusion of innovative health technologies by socioeconomic status (SES) in order to assess the extent to which these technologies may be a fundamental cause of health‐related inequalities. Quantitative analyses examined SES‐based inequalities in the adoption and diffusion of diabetes technologies. Diabetes data from three panels of the Nord‐Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT), Norway, were combined with income and education data. Cross‐sectional and longitudinal regression analyses were used to examine relevant inequalities. Cross‐sectional analyses suggest often present SES‐based gradients in the adoption of diabetes technologies, favouring high‐SES groups. Statistically significant differences ( p ≤ 0.05) were most often present when technologies were new. In a cohort followed from 1984 to 1997, high SES individuals were more likely to adopt insulin injection technologies but, due to modest sample sizes, these inequalities were not statistically significant after adjusting for age, gender, and duration of illness. Moreover, compared to low SES individuals, high SES individuals are more active users of diabetes technologies. Results suggest that SES‐based variations in access and use of innovative health technologies could act as a mechanism through which inequalities are reproduced. This study provides a discussion of mechanisms and a methodological foundation for further investigation.