Inequalities in health and its determinants

Abstract

HEALTH FOR EVERYONE? © OECD 2019 This chapter examines education-related inequalities in health status and its determinants across OECD and European countries. The chapter starts with the brief discussion on the links between health and employment to show that being in good health is instrumental in achieving good labour market outcomes. The chapter then analyses the extent to which exposure to behavioural risk factors (overweight, smoking and heavy drinking) differs across European and OECD countries and, within countries, across the social spectrum. Lastly, education-related health inequalities are investigated considering three health variables (self-assessed health status, limitations in daily activities and multiple chronic conditions), and patterns of health inequalities across European and OECD countries are analysed.