Working Paper: 413

Inequalities in Health Outcomes: Evidence from NSS Data

Anushree K N
S Madheswaran
 

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the socioeconomic inequalities in health outcomes by gender and place of residence and to explain the contribution of different factors to the overall inequality. The study used data of NSSO 60th (2004) and 71st (2014) rounds. The health outcome of interest was self-reported morbidity captured in the survey with fifteen days’ recall period. Socioeconomic status was measured by per capita monthly expenditure and the concentration index is used as a measure of socioeconomic health inequalities and is decomposed into its contributing factors. Our findings show that high level inequalities in self-reported morbidity were largely concentrated among wealthier groups in India. Though the inequalities in self-reported morbidity were more among the wealthier groups for Karnataka, yet the magnitude of inequalities in reported morbidity was low for both the years. Decomposition analysis shows that inequalities in reported morbidity are particularly associated with demographic, economic and geographical factors.

 

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