Foreword by Lisa Berkman, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University
How welfare states influence population health and health inequalities
has long been debated but less well tested by empirical research. This
book presents new empirical evidence of the effects of Swedish welfare
state structures and policies on the lives of Swedish citizens. The
discussion, analysis and innovative theoretical approaches developed in
the book have implications for health research and policy beyond
Scandinavian borders. Drawing on a rich source of longitudinal data, the
Swedish Level of Living Surveys (LNU), and other data, the authors shed
light on a number of pertinent issues in health inequality research
while at the same time showing how health inequalities have evolved in
Sweden over several decades. Topics covered include how structural
conditions relating to family, socio-economic conditions and the welfare
state are important in producing health inequalities; how health
inequalities change over the lifecourse and the impact of environment on
health inequalities - at home, at school, in the workplace. Health
inequalities and welfare resources will be invaluable to researchers,
students and practitioners in sociology, social epidemiology, public
health and social policy interested in the interplay between society and
health.