Gender Disparities and Health Dynamics: Healthcare Access, Gender Gap, and Absenteeism
(2025) EKHS42 20251Department of Economic History
- Abstract
- This thesis explores two main research areas: how national healthcare financing systems influence gender disparities in healthcare access, and whether these gender disparities contribute to sex-based inequalities in sickness-leave days as a measure of productivity loss. Using a multilevel analysis combining individual-level survey data and macro-institutional indicators across 22 countries, the study examines both entry barriers and labor market consequences. Results show that women are significantly more likely to forgo needed healthcare due to cost, even after adjusting for income and insurance type. Institutional configurations matter, as public spending helps reduce these imbalances, but its effects are non-linear and conditional. A... (More)
- This thesis explores two main research areas: how national healthcare financing systems influence gender disparities in healthcare access, and whether these gender disparities contribute to sex-based inequalities in sickness-leave days as a measure of productivity loss. Using a multilevel analysis combining individual-level survey data and macro-institutional indicators across 22 countries, the study examines both entry barriers and labor market consequences. Results show that women are significantly more likely to forgo needed healthcare due to cost, even after adjusting for income and insurance type. Institutional configurations matter, as public spending helps reduce these imbalances, but its effects are non-linear and conditional. A convex relationship emerges between access inequality and the gender health gap, while gendered absenteeism patterns persist across different institutional and social structures. Although public investment and insurance coverage mitigate productivity loss, direct access barriers are more predictive of health-related work absence than broader health disparities. These findings highlight the structural roots of gender inequalities in healthcare and professional environments, pointing out the role of healthcare design in shaping economic inclusion. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9208825
- author
- Brignoli, Sara LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- EKHS42 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- language
- English
- id
- 9208825
- date added to LUP
- 2025-08-18 10:30:01
- date last changed
- 2025-08-18 10:30:01
@misc{9208825,
abstract = {{This thesis explores two main research areas: how national healthcare financing systems influence gender disparities in healthcare access, and whether these gender disparities contribute to sex-based inequalities in sickness-leave days as a measure of productivity loss. Using a multilevel analysis combining individual-level survey data and macro-institutional indicators across 22 countries, the study examines both entry barriers and labor market consequences. Results show that women are significantly more likely to forgo needed healthcare due to cost, even after adjusting for income and insurance type. Institutional configurations matter, as public spending helps reduce these imbalances, but its effects are non-linear and conditional. A convex relationship emerges between access inequality and the gender health gap, while gendered absenteeism patterns persist across different institutional and social structures. Although public investment and insurance coverage mitigate productivity loss, direct access barriers are more predictive of health-related work absence than broader health disparities. These findings highlight the structural roots of gender inequalities in healthcare and professional environments, pointing out the role of healthcare design in shaping economic inclusion.}},
author = {{Brignoli, Sara}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Gender Disparities and Health Dynamics: Healthcare Access, Gender Gap, and Absenteeism}},
year = {{2025}},
}