https://doi.org/10.31261/CHOWANNA.2002.18.06
The reduction of health inequalities occurring both between countries and among social groups within countries has been recognized as a key objective of public health policy. This issue was first formally addressed in 1984 with the development of the European "Health for All" strategy, and its significance was reaffirmed in 1991 in response to the sociopolitical transformations in Central and Eastern Europe. Health inequalities are primarily identified through epidemiological studies assessing population health. These assessments employ both objective and subjective indicators. Among objective measures, mortality and morbidity rates are commonly used as negative indicators of health status. Subjective measures, on the other hand, frequently include self-reported health assessments. The analysis of population health is conducted by a range of experts, including physicians, demographers, public health specialists, and sociologists specializing in health. Various indicators are used to reflect disparities in health status, with life expectancy emerging in recent years as a key composite measure. This indicator reflects not only the general health of the population but also the quality of healthcare services, living conditions, and environmental quality. In Poland, life expectancy currently stands at 68.1 years for men and 76.6 years for women. In contrast, in the European Union in 1995, the corresponding figures were 74.0 and 80.7 years. Similar disparities can be observed in the proportion of individuals reaching the ages of 65 and 85. In the mid-1990s, global averages for reaching these ages were approximately 70% and 20%, respectively. However, in less developed countries—where the population has limited access to adequate living standards and healthcare—these figures were significantly lower, at 47% and 9%, respectively. It is also noteworthy that the United States national health strategy includes health indicators disaggregated by income level and minority group status, including ethnicity. This approach is substantiated by epidemiological data demonstrating that adverse health outcomes—such as miscarriages, low birth weight, congenital defects, and infant mortality—are closely associated with low income, limited education, low occupational status, and other indicators of socio-economic disadvantage.
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Vol. 1 No. 18 (2002)
Published: 2025-08-18
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