Changing health inequalities in a changing society? Sweden in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s.

Whereas the end of the 1980s was characterized by an economic boom, the early 1990s saw the worst recession since the 1930s. In Sweden, the crisis that started in the fall of 1991 and culminated in 1995 meant dramatically increased unemployment rates followed by cutbacks in welfare state programs. In addition, other major changes in economic and political conditions have taken place during this period, including tax reforms and EU membership. Although public health as well as health inequalities are likely to be linked with these kinds of macro changes, it is unclear what types of changes in health and health inequalities one would expect. In this paper analyses of Swedish data on health inequalities in the periods 1986-87 and 1994-95 are undertaken on the basis of the Swedish Surveys of Living Conditions. The main finding is that overall health levels as well as differences in health between men and women, different age groups, educational groups, social classes, and employment status groups have remained constant.

[Small changes in health differences in the Nordic countries during the 1980s and 1990s]. / Liten förändring av hälsoskillnader i Norden under 1980- och 1990-talen.

The study examined changes over time in health inequality in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Data derive from comparable interview surveys carried out in 1986/87 and 1994/95. Limiting long-standing illness and perceived ill health were analysed regarding age, gender; educational attainment, and employment status. Age adjusted prevalence rates were calculated. Changes in differences in health were found in education and employment status groups. There was little or no change in the prevalence of ill health during the time period studied. Despite social and economic changes differences in health remained broadly stable in the examined countries.

The role of income differences in explaining social inequalities in self rated health in Sweden and Britain.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To analyse to what extent differences in income, using two distinct measures-as distribution across quintiles and poverty-explain social inequalities in self rated health, for men and women, in Sweden and Britain. DESIGN: Series of cross sectional surveys, the Swedish Survey of Living Conditions (ULF) and the British General Household Survey (GHS), during the period 1992-95. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Swedish and British men and women aged 25-64 years. Approximately 4000 Swedes and 12 500 Britons are interviewed each year in the cross sectional studies used. The sample contains 15 766 people in the Swedish dataset and 49 604 people in the British dataset. MAIN RESULTS: The magnitude of social inequalities in less than good self rated health was similar in Sweden and in Britain, but adjusting for income differences explained a greater part of these in Britain than in Sweden. In Britain the distribution across income quintiles explained 47% of the social inequalities in self rated health among women and 31% among men, while in Sweden it explained, for women 13% and for men 20%. Poverty explained 22% for British women and 8% for British men of the social inequalities in self rated health, while in Sweden poverty explained much less (men 2.5% and women 0%). CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of social inequalities in self rated health was similar in Sweden and in Britain. However, the distribution of income across occupational social classes explains a larger part of these inequalities in Britain than in Sweden. One reason for this may be the differential exposure to low income and poverty in the two countries.