On the measurement of inequalities in health
Social Science & MedicinePublished 1 January 1991Open access
Adam Wagstaff, Pierella Paci, Eddy van Doorslaer
Citations1,734
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score2.10
SNIP2.01
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TL;DR
It is suggested that only two methods--the slope index of inequality and the concentration index--are likely to present an accurate picture of socioeconomic inequalities in health.
Abstract
This paper offers a critical appraisal of the various methods employed to date to measure inequalities in health. It suggests that only two of these--the slope index of inequality and the concentration index--are likely to present an accurate picture of socioeconomic inequalities in health. The paper also presents several empirical examples to illustrate of the dangers of using other measures such as the range, the Lorenz curve and the index of dissimilarity.
Keywords
Social SciencesHealth ProfessionsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance
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