Open AccessMore or less equal? Comparing Australian income–related inequality in self–reported health with other industrialised countries
Author(s) -
CLARKE PHILIP,
SMITH LEN
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-842x.2000.tb01595.x
Subject(s) - inequality , developed country , distribution (mathematics) , income distribution , economic inequality , demographic economics , index (typography) , demography , developing country , geography , economics , economic growth , population , sociology , mathematics , mathematical analysis , world wide web , computer science
Objective : To measure the distribution of self–reported health by income in order to compare the level of health inequality in Australia with other industrialized countries. Method : Using data from the two National Health Surveys undertaken in 1989–90 and 1995, concentration indexes were calculated to quantify the distribution of self–reported health by equivalent income. The concentration index for Australia was compared with those reported for nine industrialized countries in Europe and North America. Results : The estimated income–related concentration indexes were –0.1172 in 1989–90 and –0.1094 in 1995. Conclusion : The level of health inequality is not significantly different from the US or the UK, but significantly greater than seven other European nations. Implications : Australia has significant income related health inequalities and the distribution of health appears to be more unequal than in many other industrialized nations. There is a need to further investigate and quantify those features of the anglophone societies that set them apart from some other industrialized nations.