There is a European Science Foundation that has task forces on social
inequalities
in health. Its at www.esf.org. Also Johan Mackenbach in the Netherlands
manages
a website for European social inequalities in health expectancy, and also
has edited a recent
book on this topic, Reducing Inequalities in Health: A European
Perspective, ed by
Johan Mackenbach and Martijntje Bakker, Routledge 2002. The book is a
product
of the European Network on interventions and policies to reduce
socio-economic
inequalities in health, to show what can be done, what works and does not
work.
Barbara Krimgold
-----Original Message-----
From: Shapiro [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 10:30 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Fw: drug problems and income inequalities across Europe -
appeal from a statistical "innocent"
Is there anyone on the Health Equity network who could advise Neil on this
issue?
Janet Shapiro
-----Original Message-----
From: Neil Hunt <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Saturday, December 14, 2002 11:49 AM
Subject: drug problems and income inequalities across Europe - appeal from a
statistical "innocent"
>I am not very familiar with the different statistical resources that are
>available and have been fumbling around to try to get an idea of the
>quality of data that is available regarding changes in income inequalities
>across Europe over the past 12 years or so and the different ways that
>these are operationalised.
>
>I work in the drug policy field and am interested to examine the
>relationship between changing income equalities and drug use/drug problems.
>The quality of epidemiological data on European drug use - with which I am
>much more familiar - is improving and may now allow this to be looked at
>meaningfully. Before the 1990s this would have been impossible as our data
>were so poor.
>
>My hypothesis is that drug problems may be much more of a function of
>inequalities within societies rather than any absolute measures of poverty.
>As it seems to me that inhabiting a society in which conventional 'success'
>(wealth/material possessions) is too distant means that other sources of
>satisfaction become more alluring. Smoking crack and fixing heroin is a
>great 'tonic' - in the short term at least - when life seems grim.
>
>Superficially, this makes sense for me as to why both liberal countries
>such as the Netherlands and arch-prohibitionists such as Sweden may have
>relatively low levels of problem drug use. It also suggests to me why the
>UK may routinely top the European drug consumption league. However, I'd
>like to test this idea more rigorously.
>
>Could anyone suggest which sources of income data might be best for looking
>at this question, or comment on the viability/pitfalls of performing such
>an analysis? Furthermore, should anyone wish to help me look at this
>question directly, I would be pleased to hear from you and discuss the
>possibility of collaborating. Statistically, my competence doesn't extend
>much beyond formulating the question!
>
>Thanks in anticipation of any assistance people are able to offer.
>
>Neil
>
>
>Neil Hunt, University of Kent
>07780 665830
>[log in to unmask]
>
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