Socioeconomic Determinants of Health in Europe

Abstract

This master’s thesis explores how subjective health is impacted by different socioeconomic variables: income, education, immigrant status, and unemployment. This relationship is analysed in 38 European countries, and health differences between those countries are also further explored. The main novelty is that the impact of these socioeconomic variables is now studied as a group instead of individually. Data from the European Social Survey from 2018 is analysed using a complex sample multinomial logit model. This reveals that there is a positive effect of income and education on subjective health, whereas immigrant status does not have a significant effect. Unemployment has a negative effect on health compared to those who follow education, perform housework, or perform paid work. Lastly, country of origin also significantly affects subjective health. Differences in this can also be identified between European regions. Future research is encouraged to dive deeper into the causes of these inequalities, in order to address them adequately in policymaking.