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Explaining socioeconomic inequalities in drug utilization for Sweden 2005-2006: Evidence from linked survey and register data

Nordin, Martin LU ; Dackehag, Margareta LU and Gerdtham, Ulf LU orcid (2013) In Social Science and Medicine 77(21).
Abstract
This study uses the Swedish register of prescribed drugs, merged with the Survey of Living Conditions (the ULF), to analyze the socioeconomic gradient in drug utilization. It finds a significant education gradient (but no income gradient) in individual drug utilization. Whereas the education gradient for men is quantitative in its orientation (education affects number of drugs used), the gradient for women is both quantitative and qualitative (education affects mean cost of drugs). For males, but not as clearly for females, the study finds that the education gradient is weaker for more health-related drugs but stronger for more expensive drugs. Our results indicate that the main reason for the education gradient in drug utilization is... (More)
This study uses the Swedish register of prescribed drugs, merged with the Survey of Living Conditions (the ULF), to analyze the socioeconomic gradient in drug utilization. It finds a significant education gradient (but no income gradient) in individual drug utilization. Whereas the education gradient for men is quantitative in its orientation (education affects number of drugs used), the gradient for women is both quantitative and qualitative (education affects mean cost of drugs). For males, but not as clearly for females, the study finds that the education gradient is weaker for more health-related drugs but stronger for more expensive drugs. Our results indicate that the main reason for the education gradient in drug utilization is doctors’ behaviour rather than compliance with medication and affordability of drugs. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
health inequality, healthcare, drug utilization, income, education
in
Social Science and Medicine
volume
77
issue
21
pages
26 pages
publisher
Department of Economics, Lund University
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
da2fd77e-afaa-4cd3-9dc6-bcb478f7f871 (old id 1983972)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:58:28
date last changed
2019-03-08 02:54:00
@misc{da2fd77e-afaa-4cd3-9dc6-bcb478f7f871,
  abstract     = {{This study uses the Swedish register of prescribed drugs, merged with the Survey of Living Conditions (the ULF), to analyze the socioeconomic gradient in drug utilization. It finds a significant education gradient (but no income gradient) in individual drug utilization. Whereas the education gradient for men is quantitative in its orientation (education affects number of drugs used), the gradient for women is both quantitative and qualitative (education affects mean cost of drugs). For males, but not as clearly for females, the study finds that the education gradient is weaker for more health-related drugs but stronger for more expensive drugs. Our results indicate that the main reason for the education gradient in drug utilization is doctors’ behaviour rather than compliance with medication and affordability of drugs.}},
  author       = {{Nordin, Martin and Dackehag, Margareta and Gerdtham, Ulf}},
  keywords     = {{health inequality; healthcare; drug utilization; income; education}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{21}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Economics, Lund University}},
  series       = {{Social Science and Medicine}},
  title        = {{Explaining socioeconomic inequalities in drug utilization for Sweden 2005-2006: Evidence from linked survey and register data}},
  volume       = {{77}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}