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Measuring Socioeconomic Health Inequalities in Presence of Multiple Categorical Information

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Makdissi

    (Department of Economics, University of Ottawa, 55 Laurier E., Ottawa,Ontario)

  • Myra Yazbeck

    (CIRPÉE and Department of Epidemiology Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada)

Abstract
While many of the measurement approaches in health inequality measurement assume the existence of a ratio-scale variable,most of the health information available in population surveys is given in the form of categorical variables. Therefore, the well-known inequality indices may not always be readily applicable to measure health inequality as it may result in the arbitrariness of the health concentration index's value. In this paper, we address this problem by changing the dimension in which the categorical information is used. We therefore exploit the breadth of this information, define a new ratio-scaled health status variable and develop positional stochastic dominance conditions that can be implemented in a context of categorical variables. We also propose a parametric class of population health and socioeconomic health inequality indices. Finally we provide a twofold empirical illustration using the Joint Canada/United States Surveys of Health 2004 and the National Health Interview Survey 2010.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Makdissi & Myra Yazbeck, 2012. "Measuring Socioeconomic Health Inequalities in Presence of Multiple Categorical Information," Working Papers 1208E, University of Ottawa, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ott:wpaper:1208e
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Population Health; Health Inequality; Stochastic Dominance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General

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