Abstract
This chapter discusses two topics related to health inequalities: the measurement of health inequality and social inequalities as determinants of health status. It suggests an alternative framework for studying health inequality, wherein 'health inequality' refers to the variation in health status across individuals in a population. This is a use distinct from the concept of health inequalities used in studies of health differences between social groups. The use of 'health inequality' to refer to a composite measure of individual-level variation is consistent with other disciplines studying inequality across individuals.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Poverty, Inequality, and Health: An International Perspective |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780191723599, 0192631969, 9780192631961 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 1 2009 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Health inequalities
- Health status
- Individual-level variation
- Social inequality
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Murray, C. J. L., Frenk, J., & Gakidou, E. E. (2009). Measuring health inequality: Challenges and new directions. In Poverty, Inequality, and Health: An International Perspective Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780192631961.003.0010