Socio-economic inequalities in health : individual choice or social circumstances?

Being in good health is seen as one of the most valuable goods in life. Therefore it is viewed as unfair that certain groups within society, for example unmanied people or some ethnic groups, do not appeal' to enjoy an equal share of good health compared to other sections of the population. The perceived injustice is even more emphatic if differences in health correspond with the distribution of other goods (see Schuyt 1987). This is the case with inequalities in health between socio-economic groups which are the focus of this thesis. Empirical studies in many countries show that people who ar... Mehr ...