title: Health inequalities in European cities: perceptions and beliefs among local policymakers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the knowledge and beliefs of public policymakers on social inequalities in health and policies to reduce them in cities from different parts of Europe during 2010 and 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Phenomenological qualitative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  13 European cities.
  
  
  METHODS
  19 elected politicians and officers with a directive status from 13 European cities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Policymaker's knowledge and beliefs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three emerging discourses were identified among the interviewees, depending on the city of the interviewee. Health inequalities were perceived by most policymakers as differences in life-expectancy between population with economic, social and geographical differences. Reducing health inequalities was a priority for the majority of cities which use surveys as sources of information to analyse these. Bureaucracy, funding and population beliefs were the main barriers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of the interviewed policymakers gave an account of interventions focusing on the immediate determinants and aimed at modifying lifestyles and behaviours in the more disadvantaged classes. More funding should be put towards academic research on effective universal policies, evaluation of their impact and training policymakers and officers on health inequalities in city governments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol (IDIAP Jordi Gol), Barcelona, Spain Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: Mariona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pons-Vigués
authors.affiliation: School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Laia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bécares
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burström
authors.affiliation: Subdirección General de Promoción de la Salud y Prevención. Consejería de Sanidad. Comunidad de Madrid (Subdirectorate-General for Health Promotion and Prevention. Madrid Regional Health Authority), Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gandarillas
authors.affiliation: Subdirección General de Promoción de la Salud y Prevención. Consejería de Sanidad. Comunidad de Madrid (Subdirectorate-General for Health Promotion and Prevention. Madrid Regional Health Authority), Spain.
authors.forename: Felicitas
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Domínguez-Berjón
authors.affiliation: CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Elia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Diez
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Biological Science, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Milagros
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Hynek
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pikhart
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, Local Health Unit TO3, Turin, Italy Ministry of Health, Italy, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marinacci
authors.affiliation: Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rasmus
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudos de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território (CEGOT), Departamento de Geografia, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra , Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.affiliation: CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Carme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borrell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002947:Cities; D005060:Europe; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006291:Health Policy; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D011050:Policy Making; D014504:Urban Health; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Health Inequalities; Knowledge; Municipal Government; Policymaker; Public Policies; Qualitative Research