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International Journal for Equity in Health
Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health 1/2020

Open Access 01-12-2020 | Research

Self-rated health inequalities in the intersection of gender, social class and regional development in Spain: exploring contributions of material and psychosocial factors

Authors: Núria Pedrós Barnils, Eva Eurenius, Per E. Gustafsson

Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health | Issue 1/2020

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Abstract

Background

Inequalities in health across social class, gender and regional context in Spain are well-known; however, there is a lack of research examining how these dimensions of inequality interact. This study explores self-rated health (SRH) inequalities across intersectional positions of gender, social class and region, and the contribution of material and psychosocial factors to these inequalities.

Methods

Participants were drawn from the cross-sectional 2015 National Living Conditions Survey of Spanish residents aged 19–88 years (N = 27,215; 77% response rate). Eight intersectional positions were formed by combining dichotomous variables of gender, social class and regional development. Poisson regression was used to estimate intersectional inequalities in SRH as prevalence ratios, and the contributions of material and psychosocial factors.

Results

Results showed both cumulative and heterogeneous inequalities within and across intersectional positions. Inequalities in the intersection of social class and regional development were best explained by the joint contributions of material and psychosocial factors, while gender inequalities within non-manual social class were better explained by material factors alone.

Conclusions

The results illustrate the complexity of interacting inequalities in health and their underpinnings in Spain. Local and national policies taking this complexity into account are needed to broadly improve equity in health in Spain.
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Metadata
Title
Self-rated health inequalities in the intersection of gender, social class and regional development in Spain: exploring contributions of material and psychosocial factors
Authors
Núria Pedrós Barnils
Eva Eurenius
Per E. Gustafsson
Publication date
01-12-2020
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
International Journal for Equity in Health / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1475-9276
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-01202-7

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