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A prospective cohort study investigating the explanation of socio-economic inequalities in health in the Netherlands

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  • Mackenbach, J.P.
  • van de Mheen, H.
  • Stronks, K.

Abstract

In this paper, the objectives, design, data-collection procedures and enrolment rates of the Longitudinal Study on Socio-Economic Health Differences (LS-SEHD) are described. This study started in 1991, and is the first large-scale longitudinal study of the explanation of socio-economic inequalities in health in the Netherlands. The LS-SEHD aims at making a quantitative assessment of the contribution of different mechanisms and factors to the explanation of socio-economic inequalities in health. It is based on a research model incorporating both 'selection' and 'causation' mechanisms, and a wide range of specific factors possibly involved in these mechanisms: health-related life-style factors, structural/environmental factors, psychosocial stress-related factors, childhood environment, cultural factors, psychological factors, and health in childhood. The design of the LS-SEHD is that of a prospective cohort study. An aselect sample, stratified by age, degree of urbanization and socio-economic status, for approx. 27,000 persons was drawn from the population registers in a region in the Southeastern part of The Netherlands. The persons in this sample received a postal questionnaire. An aselect subsample of approx. 3500 persons from the respondents to the postal questionnaire was, in addition, approached for an oral interview. The follow-up of these samples will use routinely collected data (mortality by cause of death, hospital admissions by diagnosis, cancer incidence), as well as repeated postal questionnaires and oral interviews. The response rate to the base-line postal questionnaire was 70.1% (n = 18,973), and that to the base-line oral interview was 79.4% (n = 2802). If the LS-SEHD is compared to a number of frequently cited longitudinal studies of socio-economic inequalities in health from the United Kingdom, it appears that the differences with the OPCS Longitudinal Study and the birth cohort studies (such as the National Survey of Health and Development) are huge. The LS-SEHD is more akin to the Whitehall(I)-study and the West of Scotland 20-07 study. For example it has the sample size of the former but the open population and emphasis on social factors of the latter. A comparison of the results of various longitudinal studies of socio-economic inequalities in health is recommended.

Suggested Citation

  • Mackenbach, J.P. & van de Mheen, H. & Stronks, K., 1994. "A prospective cohort study investigating the explanation of socio-economic inequalities in health in the Netherlands," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 299-308, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:38:y:1994:i:2:p:299-308
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Klabbers, Gonnie & Bosma, Hans & Van Lenthe, Frank J. & Kempen, Gertrudis I. & Van Eijk, Jacques T. & Mackenbach, Johan P., 2009. "The relative contributions of hostility and depressive symptoms to the income gradient in hospital-based incidence of ischaemic heart disease: 12-Year follow-up findings from the GLOBE study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 1272-1280, October.
    2. de Kok, Inge M.C.M. & van Lenthe, Frank J. & Avendano, Mauricio & Louwman, Marieke & Coebergh, Jan-Willem W. & Mackenbach, Johan P., 2008. "Childhood social class and cancer incidence: Results of the globe study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(5), pages 1131-1139, March.
    3. Huisman, Martijn & Van Lenthe, Frank & Avendano, Mauricio & Mackenbach, Johan, 2008. "The contribution of job characteristics to socioeconomic inequalities in incidence of myocardial infarction," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(11), pages 2240-2252, June.
    4. Adrian Mundt & T Kliewe & S Yayla & Y Ignatyev & MA Busch & H Heimann & A Heinz & MA Rapp & M Schouler-Ocak & A Ströhle & MC Aichberger, 2014. "Social characteristics of psychological distress in disadvantaged areas of Berlin," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 60(1), pages 75-82, February.
    5. Carlijn B M Kamphuis & Tessa Jansen & Johan P Mackenbach & Frank J van Lenthe, 2015. "Bourdieu’s Cultural Capital in Relation to Food Choices: A Systematic Review of Cultural Capital Indicators and an Empirical Proof of Concept," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(8), pages 1-19, August.
    6. Palloni, Alberto & Milesi, Carolina & White, Robert G. & Turner, Alyn, 2009. "Early childhood health, reproduction of economic inequalities and the persistence of health and mortality differentials," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(9), pages 1574-1582, May.
    7. van Lenthe, F. J. & Brug, J. & Mackenbach, J. P., 2005. "Neighbourhood inequalities in physical inactivity: the role of neighbourhood attractiveness, proximity to local facilities and safety in the Netherlands," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(4), pages 763-775, February.
    8. Koster, Annemarie & Bosma, Hans & van Lenthe, Frank J. & Kempen, Gertrudis I.J.M. & Mackenbach, Johan P. & van Eijk, Jacques Th.M., 2005. "The role of psychosocial factors in explaining socio-economic differences in mobility decline in a chronically ill population: results from the GLOBE study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 123-132, July.
    9. Collyer, Taya A. & Smith, Katherine E., 2020. "An atlas of health inequalities and health disparities research: “How is this all getting done in silos, and why?”," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    10. van der Meer, Joost B. W. & van den Bos, Johannes & Mackenbach, Johan P., 1996. "Socioeconomic differences in the utilization of health services in a Dutch population: the contribution of health status," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 1-18, July.
    11. Erdogan Ciftci E & Bago d'Uva T & van Doorslaer E & van Lenthe J, 2009. "Self-perceived health and longevity: do dynamics matter?," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 09/31, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    12. van der Meer, Joost B. W. & Mackenbach, Johan P., 1999. "The care and course of diabetes: differences according to level of education," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 127-141, January.
    13. Erdogan-Ciftci, Esen & van Doorslaer, Eddy & Bago d'Uva, Teresa & van Lenthe, Frank, 2010. "Do self-perceived health changes predict longevity?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(11), pages 1981-1988, December.
    14. Prus, Steven G., 2011. "Comparing social determinants of self-rated health across the United States and Canada," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 50-59, July.
    15. Aue, Katja & Roosen, Jutta & Jensen, Helen H., 2016. "Poverty dynamics in Germany: Evidence on the relationship between persistent poverty and health behavior," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 62-70.

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