Ethnicity, socioeconomic status and health inequality among children
Theme 3: Inequalities
There is enormous policy interest in health inequalities – both physical and mental health, and both socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities. Research has focused mainly on adult health outcomes – including our previous work in EEPRU2. That work established that the relative contributions of ethnicity and socioeconomic disadvantage are complex and depend on which aspect of health is considered.
The previous work on adults needs to be extended in two ways:
Further investigation of ethnicity effects to consider language, time since immigration, etc.
Distinguish the effects of family-specific and neighbourhood-specific deprivation
Children need to be brought into the inequality picture. Children are especially important, particularly because:
Health behaviours (diet, exercise, risky behaviours, etc) are the basis for chronic health conditions that may persist through much of the adult lifecourse (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-life-course-approach-to-prevention/health-matters-prevention-a-life-course-approach/)
In relation to children’s mental health, there is evidence of substantial unmet need – particularly post-covid19 (https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/blog/news/damage-to-childrens-mental-health-caused-by-covid-crisis-could-last-for-years-without-a-large-scale-increase-for-childrens-mental-health-services/)
The statistical associations between ethnicity and socioeconomic characteristics on one hand, and health on the other are complex. Further consideration needs to be given to specific policy messages from this complex picture.
Aims
For the adult population:
Further investigation of ethnicity effects to consider language, time since immigration, etc.
Distinguish the effects of family-specific and neighbourhood-specific deprivation
For children:
Estimate the differences in health-related outcomes among children between social groups defined by ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
Calculate quantitative measures of the relative influence of ethnicity and socioeconomic factors on children’s health and behaviour
Develop a statistical model for predicting the distributional character of early adult health outcomes from indicators of health and behaviour measured earlier during childhood
Develop an outline methodology for simulating the lifecourse consequences of the estimated inequalities during childhood. Full implementation of the methodology would be reserved for a successor project
Project Team
Steve Pudney, Monica Hernandez, Jean Hamilton, Allan Wailoo
Contact
Steve Pudney steve.pudney@sheffield.ac.uk