New study on health inequality published
On the occasion of World Health Day, we would like to draw your attention to a recent publication that deals with the effects of socio-economic differences on mortality.
Alina Schmitz, together with Patrick Lazarevič (Statistics Austria) and Marc Luy (Federal Statistical Office of Austria), has published the article "No Socioeconomic Inequalities in Mortality among Catholic Monks: A Quasi-Experiment Providing Evidence for the Fundamental Cause Theory" published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
Subject of the study:
The study focuses on a specific population group: Catholic monks in Germany, born between 1840 and 1959. The researchers analyzed the extent to which the largely standardized living conditions in the monastery influence health inequalities.
Key findings:
- There is no evidence of socioeconomic differences in mortality in the monastic population studied.
- The results apply across different birth cohorts.
- The findings support the Fundamental Cause Theory, according to which social inequalities in living conditions have a decisive influence on health and life expectancy.
The study makes a remarkable contribution to understanding the role of social conditions in health equity.