scholarly journals Health inequalities in Latin America and the Caribbean: a sample of 182 596 workers from 15 countries.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S Silva-Peñaherrera ◽  
María Lopez-Ruiz ◽  
Pamela Merino-Salazar ◽  
Antonio Ramón Gómez-García ◽  
Fernando G. Benavides
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Relative Population ◽  
National Surveys ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Population Attributable Risks

Abstract Background: Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is the world’s most inequitable region. The full scale of social inequalities in health has been hidden by the lack of reliable data. This study aimed to measure and compare health inequalities in the working population within and between 15 countries of LAC. Methods: A sample of 182 596 workers over 17 years old was drawn from the most recent national surveys of working conditions or health in 15 LAC countries. Poor self-perceived health (P-SPH) was used as a health indicator, and age, education level, and occupational category as inequality stratifiers. We calculated four measures: absolute and relative population-attributable risks, the Kuznets and weighted Keppel indexes. Results: P-SPH prevalence ranged from 9% in men from Uruguay to 50% in women from Nicaragua. It was higher in women than in men in most countries. A clear gradient was shown, in which young people in non-manual skilled jobs and high education had the lowest prevalence. Nearly 42% of cases that reported P-SPH among men and 36% among women could be avoided if all the groups received a higher level of education. Also, approximately 35% of P-SPH reported by men and 30% by women could be avoided if they all shared the working and employment conditions of non-manual skilled jobs. Conclusions: We found that land borders generate more occupational health inequality than any other variable, with urgent intervention needed in countries where prevalence of poor self-perceived health is high. Monitoring of occupational health inequity is essential to inform public policies.

scholarly journals Health inequity in workers of Latin America and the Caribbean

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Silva-Peñaherrera ◽  
María Lopez-Ruiz ◽  
Pamela Merino-Salazar ◽  
Antonio Ramón Gómez-García ◽  
Fernando G. Benavides
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Wealth Distribution ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Health Inequity ◽  
Relative Population ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
The Caribbean

Abstract Background: Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is the world’s most inequitable region in terms of wealth distribution. The full scale of social inequalities in health has been hidden by the lack of reliable data. This study aimed to measure and compare health inequalities in the working population within and between 15 countries of LAC. Methods: A sample of 180 163 workers aged 18 years and older was drawn from the most recent national surveys of working conditions or health in 15 LAC countries. Poor self-perceived health (P-SPH) was used as a health indicator, and age, education level, and occupational category as inequality stratifiers. We calculated four measures: absolute and relative population-attributable risks, the Kuznets and weighted Keppel indexes.Results: P-SPH prevalence ranged from 9% in men from Uruguay to 50% in women from Nicaragua. It was higher in women than in men in most countries. A clear gradient was shown, in which young people in non-manual skilled jobs and high education had the lowest prevalence. Nearly 45% of cases that reported P-SPH among men and 35% among women could be avoided if all the groups received a higher level of education. Also, approximately 42% of P-SPH reported by men and 31% by women could be avoided if they all shared the working and employment conditions of non-manual skilled jobs. Conclusions: Wide health inequalities were found between occupational and educational groups in LAC. However, country borders appear to be an even more important stratifier in the production of health inequalities. Urgent interventions to improve worker’s health are needed in countries where prevalence of poor self-perceived health is high. Strengthening occupational health surveillance system in LAC countries should become a priority, in order to track the interventions to reduce occupational health inequity.

scholarly journals Health inequalities in workers from fifteen countries of Latin America and the Caribbean

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Silva-Peñaherrera ◽  
María Lopez-Ruiz ◽  
Pamela Merino-Salazar ◽  
Antonio Ramón Gómez-García ◽  
Fernando G. Benavides
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Wealth Distribution ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Health Inequity ◽  
Relative Population ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
The Caribbean

Abstract Background: Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is the world’s most inequitable region in terms of wealth distribution. The full scale of social inequalities in health has been hidden by the lack of reliable data. This study aimed to measure and compare health inequalities in the working population within and between 15 countries of LAC. Methods: A sample of 180 163 workers ages 18 years and older was drawn from the most recent national surveys of working conditions or health in 15 LAC countries. Poor self-perceived health (P-SPH) was used as a health indicator, and age, education level, and occupational category as inequality stratifiers. We calculated four measures: absolute and relative population-attributable risks, the Kuznets and weighted Keppel indexes. Results: P-SPH prevalence ranged from 9% in men from Uruguay to 50% in women from Nicaragua. It was higher in women than in men in most countries. A clear gradient was shown, in which young people in non-manual skilled jobs and high education had the lowest prevalence. Nearly 45% of cases that reported P-SPH among men and 35% among women could be avoided if all the groups received a higher level of education. Also, approximately 42% of P-SPH reported by men and 31% by women could be avoided if they all shared the working and employment conditions of non-manual skilled jobs. Conclusions: Wide health inequalities were found between occupational and educational groups in LAC. However, country borders appear to be an even more important stratifier in the production of health inequalities. Urgent intervention is needed in countries where prevalence of poor self-perceived health is high. Monitoring of occupational health inequity is essential to inform public policies. Key words: Health inequalities, occupational health; self-perceived health, inequity

Inequality progress key to aid Chile long-term growth

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Income Distribution ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Pension Reform ◽  
Economic Inequality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Economic Commission ◽  
The Caribbean

Subject Social and economic inequality. Significance After its progress in reducing poverty, highlighted by a recent report of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Chile faces the complex and socially divisive challenge of tackling its deep-rooted economic and social inequalities. Impacts The key problem in addressing poverty will be its concentration in specific groups of the population. Some of the government’s planned reforms, such as pension reform, would help to improve income distribution. The outcome of the government’s Country Undertaking initiative will depend on its ability to implement the resulting ideas.

scholarly journals O7D.4 Health inequalities among working population of latin america and the caribbean

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A67.2-A67
Author(s):  
Michael Silva-Peñaherrera ◽  
María Lopez-Ruiz ◽  
Pamela Merino-Salazar ◽  
Antonio Goméz-García ◽  
Fernando Benavides
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Working Population ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
Working Age ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Working Age Population

BackgroundWorking and employment conditions are weighty health determinants. Low-income countries are frequently exposed to occupational risks, employment agreements are poorly regulated and a high proportion of the working population are in the informal sector. Studies in Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) have been hampered by the lack of reliable data available.ObjectiveTo describe and compare the health inequality gap among workers of 20 countries of LAC.MethodsData have been taken from the last available Working Conditions Survey, National Health Surveys and from official records and national statistical institutes of each country. Three indicators were calculated to estimate health status of the working population (poor-self-perceived health, fatal and non-fatal injuries at work and general mortality within the working-age population), stratified by sex, age, level of study and occupation. Disparity was measured using Keppel index of disparity (ID) and Kuznets relative. Absolute and relative differences were calculated using the best health status country as reference category.ResultsMortality among the working-age population was higher in men and varied from 87.4 deaths per 1000 inhabitants in Chile to over 182.2 in Bolivia. Keppel ID between countries was 0.5, indicating medium-high disparity. The prevalence of poor self-perceived health was higher in women and revealed a gradient by age, education level and occupation, in which young people in qualified non-manual occupations and high levels of study had lower prevalence. The ID was 0.7 between countries demonstrating high disparity and the range varied from 12.2 in Uruguay to 50.9 in Nicaragua.ConclusionsThis study reveals the existence of wide gaps in health among workers in LAC, both within and between countries. The limitations of cross-country comparative data should considered. However, this analysis increases our understanding of the causes of inequalities and provides evidence to establish better public policies.

scholarly journals Monitoring Self-Perceived Occupational Health Inequities in Central America, 2011 and 2018

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e10
Author(s):  
Michael Silva-Penaherrera ◽  
David Gimeno Ruiz de Porras ◽  
George L. Delclos ◽  
Marianela Rojas Garbanzo ◽  
Pamela Merino-Salazar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Central America ◽  
Health Inequities ◽  
Health Inequity ◽  
Or Education ◽  
Relative Population ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Population Attributable Risks ◽  
The Impact

Objectives. To analyze changes in occupational health inequity between 2011 and 2018 among workers in Central America. Methods. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews at the workers’ homes for the 2 Central America Working Conditions Surveys (n=12 024 in 2011 and n=9030 in 2018). We estimated health inequity gaps by means of absolute and relative population attributable risks and the weighted Keppel index. We stratified all analyses by gender. Results. Between 2011 and 2018, the proportion of workers reporting poor self-perceived health decreased both in women (from 32% to 29%) and men (from 33% to 30%). However, the health inequity gaps remained wide in the 4 stratifiers. Measured by the Keppel index, health inequity gaps between countries increased from 22% to 39% in women and from 20% to 29% in men. Conclusions. While health improved between 2011 and 2018, health inequity gaps remained wide. Wider health inequity gaps were observed between countries than by gender, age, occupation, or education. Public Health Implications. This first benchmark of occupational health inequities in Central America could be useful when developing and evaluating the impact of public policies on work. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print June 10, 2021: e1–e10. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306276 )

scholarly journals SDG3-related inequalities in women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health: an SDG monitoring baseline for Latin America and the Caribbean using national cross-sectional surveys

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. e047779
Author(s):  
Antonio Sanhueza ◽  
Liliana Carvajal-Vélez ◽  
Oscar J Mújica ◽  
Luis Paulo Vidaletti ◽  
Cesar G Victora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
National Level ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Nationally Representative

ObjectivesLatin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries have made important progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to health (SDG3) at the national level. However, vast within-country health inequalities remain. We present a baseline of health inequalities in the region, against which progress towards the SDGs can be monitored.SettingWe studied 21 countries in LAC using data from Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey carried out from 2011 to 2016ParticipantsThe surveys collect nationally representative data on women and children using multistage sampling. In total, 288 207 women and 195 092 children made part of the surveys in the 21 countries.Outcome measuresFive health intervention indicators were studied, related to reproductive and maternal health, along with adolescent fertility and neonatal and under-five mortality rates. Inequalities in these indicators were assessed through absolute and relative measures.ResultsIn most countries, subnational geographical health gradients were observed for nearly all women, child, and adolescent (WCA) indicators. Coverage of key interventions was higher in urban areas and among the richest, compared with rural areas and poorer quintiles. Analyses by woman’s age showed that coverage was lower in adolescent girls than older women for family planning indicators. Pro-urban and pro-rich inequalities were also seen for mortality in most countries.ConclusionsRegional averages hide important health inequalities between countries, but national estimates hide still greater inequalities between subgroups of women, children and adolescents. To achieve the SDG3 targets and leave no one behind, it is essential to close health inequality gaps within as well as between countries.

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