Re-examining the social gradient in health: A study of Dutch men, 1850-1984.

ABSTRACT: Today, a social gradient in health is clearly visible. Individuals with higher socio-economic statuses tend to live longer lives, and are less likely to be disabled or chronically ill. However, there is debate over when the social gradient emerged: is it a constant across contexts, or a particular feature of certain societies? Often, social gradients are not found in historical contexts. This is perhaps because historical studies use mortality as their sole measure of health, which may not fully reflect the health statuses of the living. Using another health indicator may help to identify whether a social gradient in health was present in historical contexts. One alternative measure of health is body height, a barometer of population health. In this study, we accordingly examined socio-eco

SUBMITTER: Thompson K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10562747 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature