Search results for "Health equity"
showing 10 items of 25 documents
Effects of the Blair/Brown NHS Reforms on Socioeconomic Equity in Health Care
2012
The central objectives of the ‘Blair/Brown’ reforms of the English NHS in the 2000s were to reduce hospital waiting times and improve the quality of care. However, critics raised concerns that the choice and competition elements of reform might undermine socioeconomic equity in health care. By contrast, the architects of reform predicted that accelerated growth in NHS spending combined with increased patient choice of hospital would enhance equity for poorer patients. This paper draws together and discusses the findings of three large-scale national studies designed to shed empirical light on this issue. Study one developed methods for monitoring change in neighbourhood level socioeconomic…
Does health literacy explain the link between structural stratifiers and adolescent health?
2019
Abstract Background The concept of health literacy (HL) may help us to better understand the mechanisms leading to health disparities, and to focus on the factors that can be influenced. However, not much is yet known about how HL is related to health disparities, or whether the association exists among adolescents. The aim of the study was to examine the associations between structural stratifiers, HL and health indicators among adolescents. Methods The nationally representative Finnish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey data (n=3833) were collected from 13- and 15-year-old pupils in the spring of 2014. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated, and separate path models…
Influence of Puerperal Health Literacy on Tobacco Use during Pregnancy among Spanish Women: A Transversal Study.
2020
Background: Despite the fact that tobacco use during pregnancy produces adverse perinatal effects, some women continue to smoke. Health literacy (HL) is essential for health outcomes in adults. However, little is known about HL in pregnant women or postpartum women. The study aimed to analyse the relationship between the degree of HL of women during the early puerperium and tobacco use during pregnancy. Methods: A multicentre, descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out with women in the early puerperium in a region of eastern Spain, between November 2017 and May 2018. Their HL level was obtained using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) tool. Multivariate logistic models were adjusted to es…
The impact of inequality on mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.
2021
Previous research on pandemics and emergencies has shown that such events often widen health inequalities in society and have a greater impact on socially disadvantaged groups No review has so far looked at the impact of inequality factors on mental health outcomes during the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) The aim of the current review was therefore to assess the impact of inequality factors on mental health outcomes during COVID-19 After registration on PROSPERO, a systematic review was conducted for papers published up to July 31, 2020, using the databases Google Scholar, PsycINFO, PubMed (MEDLINE), and Web of Science The following inequality factors were considered: education, inc…
Semantics bias in cross-national comparative analyses : Is it good or bad to have "fair" health?
2016
The Health Behavior in School-aged Children is a cross-national study collecting data on social and health indicators on adolescents in 43 countries. The study provides comparable data on health behaviors and health outcomes through the use of a common protocol, which have been a back bone of the study sine its initiation in 1983. Recent years, researchers within the study have noticed a questionable comparability on the widely used item on self-rated health. One of the four response categories to the item “Would you say your health is….?” showed particular variation, as the response category “Fair” varied from 20 % in Latvia and Moldova to 3–4 % in Bulgaria and Macedonia. A qualitative min…
Does health literacy explain regional health disparities among adolescents in Finland?
2021
Summary Health literacy (HL)—as a broad range of health-related competencies—has been proposed to be a promising construct in understanding health disparities better, also among adolescents. Several factors have been found to explain differences in adolescents’ HL levels; however, not much is known about how different regions of a country or majority/minority status is associated with HL, or whether HL is associated with regional health disparities. The aim of this study was to examine and compare HL and health levels among majority- and minority-language-speaking adolescents living in different regions of Finland, and to explore if HL explains regional health disparities, taking into accou…
Female Genital Mutilation Consequences and Healthcare Received among Migrant Women: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study
2021
European healthcare systems are increasingly being challenged to respond to female genital mutilation (FGM). This study explores the FGM experiences of migrant women coming from FGM-practicing countries residing in a European host country. A qualitative phenomenological study was carried out and 23 participants were included. Data were collected through 18 face-to-face open-ended interviews and a focus group and were analysed using Giorgi’s four-step phenomenological approach. Three main themes were derived: “FGM consequences”, “healthcare received” and “tackling FGM”. Participants highlighted obstetric, gynaecological and genitourinary consequences such as haemorrhages, perineal tears, cae…
Health literacy in familial hypercholesterolemia: A cross-national study.
2018
Background High rates of inadequate health literacy are associated with maladaptive health outcomes in chronic disease including increased mortality and morbidity rates, poor treatment adherence and poor health. Adequate health literacy may be an important factor in the effective treatment and management of familial hypercholesterolemia, and may also be implicated in genetic screening for familial hypercholesterolemia among index cases. The present study examined the prevalence and predictors of health literacy in familial hypercholesterolemia patients attending clinics in seven countries. Design Cross-sectional survey. Methods Consecutive FH patients attending clinics in Australia, Brazil,…
Reducing health inequalities trough digital options in mental health: A physician's perspective.
2019
This paper explores the physicians’ perspective regarding the potential of computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (cCBTs) to overcome inequalities in the context of mental health care provision. The main benefits were related to the ability of cCBTs to provide care in a convenient and efficient manner, enhancing its accessibility. These aspects were perceived more important than cost-effectivity of treatment, which is often claimed to be the key benefit of cCBTs. Age and general acceptance of CBT were the most significant individual-level separators of perceptions, while the sector in which the physician works was seen as the main structural-level separator. peerReviewed
Different neighborhood walkability indexes for active commuting to school are necessary for urban and rural children and adolescents
2020
This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and the European Regional Development Fund [grant no. DEP2016-75598-R, MINECO/FEDER, UE]. Additionally, this study takes place thanks to the funding from the University of Granada Plan Propio de Investigacion 2016 -Excellence actions: Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES) -and the Junta de Andalucia, Consejeria de Conocimiento, Investigacion y Universidades, European Regional Development Fund [grant no. SOMM17/6107/UGR]. The funding body had no role in the study design or collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data or in writing the manuscript.