More or less equal? Comparing Australian income-related inequality in self-reported health with other industrialised countries.
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.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
The level of health inequality is not significantly different from the US or the UK, but significantly greater than seven other European nations.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Clarke
P
P
Health Economics Research Centre, Institute of Health Science, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. philip.clarke@dphpc.ox.ac.uk
Smith
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D019049:Developed Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology