Greater focus on people’s living conditions reduces health disparities

2010-06-24

Health on equal terms is a concept that needs clarification. This is one of the conclusions of a study by the Swedish National Institute of Public Health done as a part of the EU project, DETERMINE. The objective of the project was to increase knowledge among decision-makers at all levels so that they take health equality into account when decisions are made.

DETERMINE is a three-year EU initiative (2007-2010), aiming to contribute to reducing health disparities in Europe. As a part of the project, the Swedish National Institute of Public Health conducted a study of eight Swedish municipalities that are working to reduce disparities in health. The results are presented in the current report “Municipal public health work that can reduce health disparities”, which is based on interviews with politicians and municipal employees in the municipalities of Malmö, Kristianstad, Växjö, Nynäshamn, Botkyrka, Örebro, Falun and Umeå.

The eight municipalities studied are good examples of municipalities with public health work that can reduce health disparities. To be counted as good examples, the municipalities must have clear objectives and action plans, an organisation that means that public health issues have an impact on most of the municipal activities, and active measures that can improve people’s health and reduce health disparities on the short and long terms. The study shows that the strength of the municipalities mainly lies in their coordination and control of the work, their development of public health work in several municipal activities, their collaboration with other actors and their follow-up and concept development.

However, the study also shows that the meaning of “health on equal terms” needs to be clarified. For action in their policies, the municipalities primarily focus on health-related living habits and less on people’s living conditions. People’s living conditions – especially education, occupation and financial resources – need to be emphasized more, alongside health-related living habits, such as what kind of diet we have and whether we exercise regularly. There is a close relationship between our health and the financial and social circumstances in which we live.

The Swedish National Institute of Public Health participated in the DETERMINE project together with some 50 organisations from 24 European countries. What was done and what was achieved in the project are presented in the final report “The Story of DETERMINE. Mobilisation of action for health equality in the EU”. This report shows that DETERMINE contributed to greater awareness of the problems of health inequality, that possible solutions to the problem have been illustrated and that action and involvement have been stimulated that could change the situation.