The rights and freedoms gradient of health: evidence from a cross-national study
This study examined the combined influences of national levels of socioeconomic status, social capital, and rights and freedoms on population level physical and mental health outcomes. Indicators of mental health were suicide rates, alcohol consumption and tobacco use. Indicators of physical health...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2012-11-01
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Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00441/full |
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author | Brent eBezo Stefania eMaggi William L Roberts |
author_facet | Brent eBezo Stefania eMaggi William L Roberts |
author_sort | Brent eBezo |
collection | DOAJ |
description | This study examined the combined influences of national levels of socioeconomic status, social capital, and rights and freedoms on population level physical and mental health outcomes. Indicators of mental health were suicide rates, alcohol consumption and tobacco use. Indicators of physical health included life expectancy, infant mortality rates, and prevalence of HIV. Using pathway analysis on international data from a selected sample of European, North American, South American and South Caucasus countries, similar models for mental health and physical health were developed. In the first model, the positive effects of socioeconomic status and social capital on physical health were completely mediated via rights and freedoms. In the second model, the positive effect of socioeconomic status on mental health was completely mediated, while the impact of social capital was partially mediated through rights and freedoms. We named the models, the rights and freedoms gradient of health in recognition of this latter construct’s crucial role in determining both physical and mental health. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:20:02Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-13f713c9e8fe48cd8ed00491cba2e444 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1664-1078 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:20:02Z |
publishDate | 2012-11-01 |
publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
record_format | Article |
series | Frontiers in Psychology |
spelling | doaj.art-13f713c9e8fe48cd8ed00491cba2e4442022-12-22T03:44:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782012-11-01310.3389/fpsyg.2012.0044131029The rights and freedoms gradient of health: evidence from a cross-national studyBrent eBezo0Stefania eMaggi1William L Roberts2Carleton UniversityCarleton UniversityThompson Rivers UniversityThis study examined the combined influences of national levels of socioeconomic status, social capital, and rights and freedoms on population level physical and mental health outcomes. Indicators of mental health were suicide rates, alcohol consumption and tobacco use. Indicators of physical health included life expectancy, infant mortality rates, and prevalence of HIV. Using pathway analysis on international data from a selected sample of European, North American, South American and South Caucasus countries, similar models for mental health and physical health were developed. In the first model, the positive effects of socioeconomic status and social capital on physical health were completely mediated via rights and freedoms. In the second model, the positive effect of socioeconomic status on mental health was completely mediated, while the impact of social capital was partially mediated through rights and freedoms. We named the models, the rights and freedoms gradient of health in recognition of this latter construct’s crucial role in determining both physical and mental health.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00441/fullMental HealthrightsGradientSocioeconomic statusphysical healthfreedoms |
spellingShingle | Brent eBezo Stefania eMaggi William L Roberts The rights and freedoms gradient of health: evidence from a cross-national study Frontiers in Psychology Mental Health rights Gradient Socioeconomic status physical health freedoms |
title | The rights and freedoms gradient of health: evidence from a cross-national study |
title_full | The rights and freedoms gradient of health: evidence from a cross-national study |
title_fullStr | The rights and freedoms gradient of health: evidence from a cross-national study |
title_full_unstemmed | The rights and freedoms gradient of health: evidence from a cross-national study |
title_short | The rights and freedoms gradient of health: evidence from a cross-national study |
title_sort | rights and freedoms gradient of health evidence from a cross national study |
topic | Mental Health rights Gradient Socioeconomic status physical health freedoms |
url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00441/full |
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