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Taylor and Francis Group, Global Health Action, 1(8), p. 27591, 2015

DOI: 10.3402/gha.v8.27591

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Utility and limitations of measures of health inequities: a theoretical perspective

Journal article published in 2015 by Olakunle Alonge, David H. Peters
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

What is already known on this subject? Various measures have been used in quantifying health inequities among populations in recent times; most of these measures were derived to capture the socioeconomic inequalities in health. These different measures do not always lend themselves to common interpretation by policy makers and health managers because they each reflect limited aspects of the concept of health inequities. What does this study add? To inform a more appropriate application of the different measures currently used in quantifying health inequities, this article explicates common theories underlying the definition of health inequities and uses this understanding to show the utility and limitations of these different measures. It also suggests some key features of an ideal indicator based on the conceptual understanding, with the hope of influencing future efforts in developing more robust measures of health inequities. The article also provides a conceptual 'product label' for the common measures of health inequities to guide users and 'consumers' in making more robust inferences and conclusions.