Health Inequalities through the Lens of Health Capital Theory: Issues, Solutions, and Future Directions

Arbeitspapier

We explore what health-capital theory has to offer in terms of informing and directing research into health inequality. We argue that economic theory can help in identifying mechanisms through which specific socioeconomic indicators and health interact. Our reading of the literature, and our own work, leads us to conclude that non-degenerate versions of the Grossman model (1972a;b) and its extensions can explain many salient stylized facts on health inequalities. Yet, further development is required in at least two directions. First, a childhood phase needs to be incorporated, in recognition of the importance of childhood endowments and investments in the determination of later-life socioeconomic and health outcomes. Second, a unified theory of joint investment in skill (or human) capital and in health capital could provide a basis for a theory of the relationship between education and health.

Angaben zum Objekt

• Sprache: Englisch

Verweise und Beziehungen

• Erschienen in: Series: Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper ; No. 13-076/V

Klassifikation und Themen

• Klassifikation: Wirtschaft ; Health Behavior ; Health and Inequality
• Thema: Health Capital Models ; Health Inequality ; Gesundheit ; Soziale Ungleichheit ; Sozialer Indikator ; Gesundheitsökonomik

Beteiligte, Orts- und Zeitangaben

• Ereignis: Geistige Schöpfung
• (wer): Galama, Titus J. ; van Kippersluis, Hans
• Ereignis: Veröffentlichung
• (wer): Tinbergen Institute
• (wo): Amsterdam and Rotterdam
• (wann): 2013

Weitere Informationen

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/87389
• Letzte Aktualisierung: 10.03.2025, 11:44 MEZ