Modelling health, income and income inequality: the impact of income inequality on health and health inequality.

John Wildman
Author Information
  1. John Wildman: Economics, The Ridley Building, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK. j.r.wildman@ncl.ac.uk

Abstract

A framework is developed to analyse the impact of the distribution of income on individual health and health inequality, with individual health modelled as a function of income and the distribution of income. It is demonstrated that the impact of income inequality can generate non-concave health production functions resulting in a non-concave health production possibility frontier. In this context, the impact of different health policies are considered and it is argued that if the distribution of income affects individual health, any policy aimed at equalising health, which does not account for income inequality, will lead to unequal distributions of health. This is an important development given current UK government attention to reducing health inequality.

MeSH Term

Health Policy
Health Status Indicators
Humans
Income
Models, Econometric
Socioeconomic Factors
United Kingdom
Vulnerable Populations