title: Education policies and health inequalities: evidence from changes in the distribution of Body Mass Index in France, 1981-2003.
abstract: This paper contributes to the debate over the effectiveness of education policies in reducing overall health inequalities as compared to public health actions directed at the less-educated. Recentered Influence Function (RIF) regressions are used to decompose the contribution of education to the changing distribution of Body Mass Index (BMI) in France, between 1981 and 2003, into a composition effect (the shift in population education due to a massive educational expansion), and a structure effect (a changing educational gradient in BMI). Educational expansion has reduced overall BMI inequality by 3.4% for women and 2.3% for men. However, the structure effect on its own has produced a 10.9% increase in overall inequality for women, due to a steeper education gradient starting from the second quartile of the distribution. This structure effect on overall inequality is also large (7.6%) for men, albeit insignificant as it remains concentrated in the last decile. Educational expansion policies can thus reduce overall BMI inequalities; but attention must still be paid to the BMI gradient in education even for policies addressing overall rather than socioeconomic health inequalities.
authors: INRA, UR1303 ALISS, 65 Boulevard de Brandebourg, 94205 Ivry-sur-Seine, France; Paris School of Economics, 48 Boulevard Jourdan, 75014 Paris, France. Electronic address: etile@ivry.inra.fr.
authors: Fabrice
authors: F
authors: Etile
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D057766:Policy; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Body Mass Index; Decomposition analysis; Education; Health inequality; Recentered Influence Function regressions